ABSTRACT

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive clonal myeloid neoplasm that causes the accumulation of myeloblasts in blood and bone marrow. This study aimed to determine immunophenotypic characteristics and their prognostic value in patients with AML, to compare the results of patients with the literature and to reveal regional differences.

Data of 100 patients (aged <65 years) who were diagnosed as having acute leukemia based on the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria (2008) and who underwent 7+3 remission induction chemotherapy in Eskişehir Os¬mangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Depart¬ment of Internal Medicine, Hematology division n 2008–2015. The immunophenotype of bone marrow samples from the patients were analyzed using flow cytometry.

Fifty-two patients (52%) were males and 48 (48%) were females; the mean age at diagnosis was 49±11.4 (18-62) years. The overall survival was 203.0±74.6 (0-1666) days, and the disease-free survival time was 137.0±46.7 (0-1588) days. Considering the response to induction therapy, complete response was 53% (n=53), non-response was 16% (n=16), and death during the induction was 31% (n=31). At the time of statistical analyses, 35% (n=35) of patients were in remission and 65% (n=65) were dead. There was no difference between CD56 positive and negative group regarding CD34 and CD7 positivitiy, cytogenetic risk groups, complete remission, disease-free and overall survival time. The panmyeloid markers (CD13, CD33, CD15, and MPO) also had no effect on survival. Aberrant markers (CD19, CD7, and CD2) did not have any effect on prognosis. Tdt coexpression is the only poor prognostic antigen that is effective on survival.

In AML prognosis, there is no effect of the antigens alone. We think that patients should be evaluated together with immunophenotypic, cytogenetic and other prognostic factors.

Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia, immunophenotype, prognostic antigen