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CD7 expression by CD34 + cells in CML patients, of prognostic significance?
Author(s) -
Normann Are P.,
Egeland Torstein,
Madshus Inger H.,
Heim Sverre,
Tjønnfjord Geir E.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0609.2003.00133.x
Subject(s) - cd34 , cd38 , progenitor cell , cd33 , immunophenotyping , chronic myelogenous leukemia , myeloid leukemia , population , haematopoiesis , immunology , stem cell , myeloid , bone marrow , leukemia , medicine , cancer research , pathology , biology , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental health
The purpose of the study was to identify a unique immunophenotype of normal or Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph + ) CD34 + cells that might be used to purify normal CD34 + cells from chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients. An immunophenotypical study of CD34 + bone marrow cells of 20 patients with CML at diagnosis and during hydroxyurea treatment, and 39 controls were performed. All patients were Ph + , two patients had variant translocations and three patients displayed cytogenetic signs of clonal evolution. The immature progenitor cell compartment (CD34 + HLA‐DR − and CD34 + CD38 − cells) was comparable. The CD34 + AC133 + progenitor cell compartment was decreased in CML patients. We found no difference for any of the adhesion molecules examined except for CD62L, where the percentage of CD34 + CD62L + cells was decreased in CML patients. The number of myeloid progenitors (CD34 + CD33 + ) was increased at the expense of B‐lymphoid progenitors (CD34 + CD10 + and CD34 + CD19 + ) in CML patients indicating that B‐lymphopoiesis is inhibited in CML. The megakaryocytic (CD34 + CD61 + ) and erythroid (CD34 + CD71 + ) progenitors were increased in CML patients. The number of CD34 + CD7 + cells was also significantly increased (mean 25.3% vs. 4.9%). However, the level of CD7 expression was quite heterogeneous, and the patients could be separated into two populations according to CD7 expression (more or less than 20% CD7 + CD34 + cells). The Sokal and Hasford risk scores did not differ between CD34 + CD7 − CML and CD34 + CD7 + CML, but all patients with signs of disease progression clustered in the CD34 + CD7 + population indicating that the level of CD7 expression on CD34 + cells may be of prognostic importance in CML.