title: Flowcytometric comparative analysis in acute leukemias between Indian and proposed minimal screening panel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoid leukemia differ substantially in response to therapy and course, and accurate differentiation of the two is fundamental to therapeutic decisions. Immunophenotyping is used for this purpose, and various guidelines have been proposed regarding a minimal screening antibody panel. Most of them have been found inefficient.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two cases of consecutive acute leukemias reporting to this hospital over a period of two years were included in the study. Peripheral blood smear, bone marrow aspirate, and bone marrow biopsy were studied using morphology, cytochemical stains, and relevant immunohistochemical stains on selected biopsy specimens. Flowcytometry analysis was carried out using Indian consensus screening panel and our proposed minimal screening panel (PMSP) for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunophenotyping using PMSP resulted in 95.12% accurate diagnosis versus Indian consensus minimal screening panel (ICMSP) with an accuracy of 92.68%. This result was statistically significant as per Chi Square tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PMSP can be used as a substitute for ICMSP, since it includes lineage-specific cytoplasmic antibodies, as well as lesser number of monoclonal antibodies, and enables us to diagnose mixed lineage leukemia. Fewer markers can be linked to a lower cost as well, which is relevant in a developing economy.
authors.affiliation: Resident (Pathology), Army Hospital (R&R), New Delhi 110010, India.
authors.forename: Srishti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Commandant, 166 Military Hospital, C/o 56 APO, India.
authors.forename: Tathagata
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: Senior Adviser (Med & Hematology), Command Hospital (Southern Command), Pune 411040, India.
authors.forename: Sanjeevan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Consultant & Head (Hematology), Army Hospital (R&R), New Delhi 110010, India.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Senior Adviser (Pathology), Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata, India.
authors.forename: Prosenjit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ganguly
authors.affiliation: Senior Adviser (Med & Hematology), Army Hospital (R&R), New Delhi 110010, India.
authors.forename: Jasjit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Senior Adviser (Paediatrics & Hematology), INHS Asvini, Colaba, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Satyaranjan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
keywords: Acute leukemias; Flowcytometry; Indian Consensus screening panel; MPAL; Proposed minimal screening panel