2016•Journal of Hematology & OncologyOpen access
Heterogeneity of CD34 and CD38 expression in acute B lymphoblastic leukemia cells is reversible and not hierarchically organized
Zhiwu Jiang, Manman Deng, Xinru Wei, Wei Ye, Yiren Xiao, Simiao Lin, Suna Wang, Baiheng Li, Xin Liu, Gong Zhang, Peilong Lai, Jianyu Weng, Donghai Wu, Haijia Chen, Wei Wei, Yuguo Ma, Yangqiu Li, Pentao Liu, Xin Du, Duanqing Pei, Yao Yao, Bing Xu, Peng Li
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Abstract
The existence and identification of leukemia-initiating cells in adult acute B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) remain controversial. We examined whether adult B-ALL is hierarchically organized into phenotypically distinct subpopulations of leukemogenic and non-leukemogenic cells or whether most B-ALL cells retain leukemogenic capacity, irrespective of their immunophenotype profiles. Our results suggest that adult B-ALL follows the stochastic stem cell model and that the expression of CD34 and CD38 in B-ALL is reversibly and not hierarchically organized.
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