ISSN 2997-1036
International Journal of Hematology | Vol. 7, No. 7, July 2016 | pp. 49–56
DOI: 10.46882/2016/IJH/000079
Original Article
Title: Characterization of aberrant lymphoid marker expressions in adult acute myeloid leukemia variants
Names of Authors: W. A. Adebayo¹, X. Y. Emeka², Z. Z. Salami³
Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Haematology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; ²Department of Haematology, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria; ³Department of Pathology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
Abstract: Aberrant expression of lymphoid-associated antigens on acute myeloid leukemia blasts is a well-recognized phenomenon that can complicate lineage determination but may serve as a useful tumor marker for monitoring minimal residual disease. This prospective study evaluated the immunophenotypic profiles of 58 adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia utilizing multiparameter flow cytometry panels. Myeloid lineage was established via CD13, CD33, and cytoplasmic myeloperoxidase positivity. Lymphoid marker expression was identified in 29.3% (17 of 58) of the leukemia cases. The T-cell marker CD7 was the most frequent aberrant finding, occurring in 15.5% of patients, followed by the B-cell marker CD19 in 8.6%, and CD2 in 5.1%. Aberrant CD7 expression correlated significantly with the presence of monocytic differentiation (FAB M4/M5 subtypes) and a higher baseline white blood cell count (P < 0.05). Patients demonstrating aberrant lymphoid markers showed a lower rate of complete remission following initial cytarabine-daunorubicin induction. Multi-color flow cytometry profiling is highly useful for identifying these unique immunophenotypic shifts, helping pathologists build customized tracking vectors for residual blast monitoring.
Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia, flow cytometry, aberrant expression, CD7, minimal residual disease
Manuscript Timeline: Received: April 14, 2016; Revised: May 20, 2016; Accepted: June 08, 2016; Published: July 20, 2016