The expression and clinical significance of CD117 and CD34 in patients with acute leukemia

Objective To explore the value of the expression of CD117/CD34 with acute leukemia(AL),we designed a study to compare the results of analyses of co-expression of CD34/CD117.Methods We estimated by flow cytometry(FCM) the expression of CD34 and CD117 in cells from 47 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia(AML),28 patients with acute lymphoid leukemia(ALL) and 20 normal bone marrows.Results CD34 was commonly expressed in all types of acute leukemias,whereas CD117 seemed to be a more expression for 40 out of 47 cases of AML patients,but rarely detected in ALL(1/28 patients).Moreover,co-expression of CD34/CD117 was extremely rare on lymphoblasts with only 1/28 ALL patients.Conclusion Co-expression of CD34/CD117 may strongly suggest the diagnosis of AML,and it should be used in the exclusion of ALL.