Association of CD34 cell surface antigen expression with cytomorphological characteristics of acute promyelocytic leukemia blasts and clinical characteristics of patients: one center experience].

The aims of the study were to investigate the association between cytomorphology and immunophenotypic expression of CD34 cell surface antigen of blasts and their relationship with clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Sixteen consecutive patients (male 69% and female 31%) diagnosed with APL at Department of Hematology, Merkur University Hospital between August 1998 and December 2010 were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 43.9 (range: 18-78, SD 14.9). The patients' clinical and laboratory features, cytomorphological characteristics of APL-blasts and their immunophenotype determined by flow cytometry were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups, CD34- and CD34+, and were then compared according to clinical and laboratory characteristics. There was no difference according to age, sex or white blood cell count between two groups. The mean value of hypogranular/agranular APL-blasts was markedly higher in CD34+ group than CD34- group (34%, range 9-60, SD 24.4 vs. 11.5%, range 0-38, SD 13.7), with borderline statistical significance (P=0.055). CD34- patients had significantly better overall survival than CD34+ ones (P=0.02). Patients without Auer rods detected in APL-blasts had higher CD34 expression (69.4% +/- 33.8) compared to patients with detected Auer rods (7.3% +/- 24.8), but statistical significance was not reached (p=0.053). Our results are consistent with the results of other published studies and point to the fact that higher CD34 expression and lower cytoplasmic granularity of APL-blasts are factors that seem to define a specific subgroup of APL patients. Together with other diagnostic tools currently available, they could be of value in planning treatment of APL patients.

Citation

Alen Ostojić, Marina Pazur, Zoran Siftar, Mirjana Mariana Kardum Paro, Biljana Jelić-Puskarić, Njetocka Gredelj-Simec, Delfa Radić-Kristo, Ika Kardum-Skelin, Radovan Vrhovac, Branimir Jaksić. Association of CD34 cell surface antigen expression with cytomorphological characteristics of acute promyelocytic leukemia blasts and clinical characteristics of patients: one center experience]. Acta medica Croatica : c̆asopis Hravatske akademije medicinskih znanosti. 2011 Sep;65 Suppl 1:67-74

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PMID: 23126032

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