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Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐positive acute myeloblastic leukemia
Author(s) -
McGraw T. P.,
Folds J. D.,
Bollum F. J.,
Stass S. A.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.2830100304
Subject(s) - terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase , acute myeloblastic leukemia , myeloid , myeloperoxidase , leukemia , immunofluorescence , pathology , precursor cell , medicine , immunology , biology , cancer research , tunel assay , cell , immunohistochemistry , antibody , genetics , inflammation
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is a biochemical marker for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In studies of ALL at diagnosis, there are usually greater than 40% TdT‐positive cells by indirect immunofluorescence, whereas acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) shows less than 1% TdT‐positive cells. Rare cases of TdT‐positive AML have been reported. We present here three AML patients with TdT in 15%, 45%, and 90% of the leukemic blasts. The diagnosis of AML was established on the basis of morphology and cytochemistry, and the cases included one patient with Auer rods. Myeloperoxidase was present respectively in 20%, 90%, and 5% of the blasts. There was no Philadelphia chromosome present in the three cases. These results may indicate the simultaneous presence of lymphoid and myeloid populations, or the presence of a blast cell with both lymphoid and myeloid markers.