title: The clinicopathologic significance of lymphocyte subsets in acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While the role of the immune system in altering and modulating the progression of solid tumors is well studied, the impact of the immune system on the outcome and progression of hematolymphoid neoplasms is still poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we report a retrospective study detailing our analysis of 130 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with flow cytometry immunophenotypic evaluation of major lymphocyte subsets including B cells, T cells, and NK cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study identifies differential signatures of lymphocyte subsets pertaining to distinct subcategories of AML, and prognostic correlations in patients. In multivariate analysis, NK cells (specifically CD56+/CD16+ NK cells at a cutoff of ≥5%) were found to be an independent indicator of improved overall and disease-free survival; cytogenetic risk was also shown to be critical in stratifying patients with AML.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In total, we demonstrate that in AML, the subset distribution of immune system lymphocytes is nonrandom, and suggest an important role for distinct lymphocyte subsets, particularly NK cells, in this disease.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcasid
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gotlib
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Arber
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ohgami
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000473:pathology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Immune system; acute myeloid leukemia; immunosurveillance