Expression of CD11b on peripheral leucocytes in patients with leukemia

Objective To investigate the expression of CD11b on peripheral leucocytes in patients with leukemia and to explore its clinical significance.Methods Samples from 223 cases of leukemia were analyzed by 4-color flow cytometry with CD45/SSC gating to determine the leukocyte differentiation antigens.Results The positive rate of expression of CD11b in acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) was 44.7% (42/94) and that in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) was 11.8% (12/102,χ2=26.55,P0.01). The positive rate of CD11b in AML (M 5) was significantly higher than that in AML (M 0、M 1、M 2、M 3) (83.3% vs 36.5%, χ2=8.97, P0.01). In acute leukemia a negative correlation was found between the expression of CD11b and CD34, CD117 (r=-0.213, P0.05; r=-0.282,P0.05 respectively), a positive correlation was found between CD11b and CD14, CD15 (r=0.587, P0.01; r=0.348, P0.01 respectively). CD11b was expressed in 2 cases of chronic phase CML, but not in 2 cases in blastic phase.Conclusion (1) The analysis of CD11b expression is helpful in distinguishing AML from ALL. (2) CD11b is useful to identify M 5 and M 0、M 1、M 2、M 3.(3) To determine the expression of CD11b in conjunction with the expression of CD15 and CD34 may be useful to the diagnosis of CML.