Higher Level of Peripheral Blood CD34 Positive Cells Presented with Unfavorable Prognosis in Intermediate-Low Risk Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

In this study, 76 intermediate-low risk APL patients and 56 age-adjusted healthy volunteers were evaluated. Enumeration of CD34+ cells was inves tigated before the treatment. A cut-off value of 10 × 106/L CD34+ cells could just distinguish APL patients with adverse prognostic factors from others and may have the power to predict shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and poor prognosis. Higher count of CD34+ cells was usually associated with nonclassical chromosomal translocation, PML/RAR α gene complex fusion, APL history, chemotherapy-related APL, disease progression, second tumor, extramedullary infiltration, FLT3-ITD positive mutation, atypical morphology, BM promyelocyte CD56/CD34 positive expression, myelofibrosis, PCR-positive PML/RARa gene fusion but FISH-negative, mar row necrosis and shorter PFS. Our results suggest that the level of CD34+ cells can be further the stratification of disease risk, a higher CD34+ cell count may be indicative of inferior survival and serve as an adverse biomarker for intermediate-low risk APL.
Source: Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion - Category: Hematology Source Type: research