Immunophenotype feature analysis of 76 cases of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Objective To analyze the immunophenotype features of the subtypes of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL).Methods 76 cases of ALL were evaluated and classified by immunomarkers expression of cells using tetrachromatic flow cytometry.Results The 76 patients were identified into T-ALL(6.57%),B-ALL(89.47%) T/B mixed ALL(3.95%) according to immunophenotype lineage of leukemia.The patients were analyzed with earlier stage lineage unrelated antigens expression features: B-ALL expressed CD38,CD34 and DR;T-ALL expressed CD38,and CD24 but no DR;T/B biphenotypic ALL expressed DR but no CD38 and CD34.The patients were classified with sensitive and specific lineage related antigens: In B-ALL patients,the cCD79a expression was 91.18%,the CD19 was 97.06%;In T-ALL patients,the expressions of antigen cCD3 or CD7 were 100%;In T/B biphenotypic ALL patients,cCD3 and cCD79a and CD19 were expressed,and 2 cases expressed CD7.The crossing expression of lineage antigen analysis: 30.88% of B-ALL cases expressed myeloid antigen.Among the T-ALL cases,1 case was associated with myeloid antigen expression(20%),but was not found in T/B-ALL biphenotypic leukemia patients.Conclusion The immunophenotypic analysis of B or T cells antigens including earlier stage lineage,sensitive and specific lineage antigens and crossing expression of lineage antigen by flow cytometry may become an useful tool for the diagnosis,individualized treatment and prognosis of T-ALL,B-ALL and T/B-ALL patients.