Phenotypical characteristics of acute myelocytic leukemia associated with the t(8;21)(q22;q22) chromosomal abnormality: frequent expression of immature B-cell antigen CD19 together with stem cell antigen CD34

Abstract

Twenty-three acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) patients with t(8;21) chromosomal abnormality, all classified as M2 (French-American-British [FAB] classification), were investigated. Blastic cells from all patients were positive for the stem cell-associated antigens, CD34 and HLA-DR, and the immature myeloid antigens, CD13 and CD33. The nonblastic leukemic cells expressed the more mature myeloid antigens, CD11b and CD15, with loss of the immature phenotype. The incidence of positivities for the stem cell-associated antigens, CD34 and HLA-DR, in t(8;21) AML cells was significantly higher in comparison with those in other AML showing granulocytic differentiation (M2 or M3). AML cells with t(8;21) also showed some phenotypic abnormalities. Frequent expression of CD19 was found in the blastic population of t(8;21) AML (18 of 23 cases) without other B-cell antigens and Ig gene rearrangements. CD19 expression was confirmed by immunocytochemistry and Northern blotting. The CD19+ blastic cells coexpressed both CD34 and HLA-DR. In addition, CD33+ cells among the blastic fraction in t(8;21) AML cells were fewer in number than in those of M2 or M3 AML without t(8;21). Our findings indicate that leukemic blasts of t(8;21) AML commonly express CD19 while preserving the stem cell-associated antigens, and differentiate into the granulocytic pathway with discordant maturation such as low CD33 expression.

Molecular detection of t(8;21)/AML1‐ETO in AML M1/M2: correlation with cytogenetics, morphology and immunophenotype

“…These differences were not, however, sufficiently frequent to enable selection of cases for molecular screening on the basis of immunophenotype. No attempt was made in this study to quantify the level of expression of CD34, DR or CD33, although this is reported to be higher for the first two antigens and lower for the third (Kita et al, 1992(Kita et al, , 1994. It is possible that reproducible quantification of these and other markers, including CD19 and CD7, would enable more adequate prediction of AML1-ETO on the basis of immunophenotype.…”

“…Immunophenotypic analysis has demonstrated that AML M2 with t(8;21) demonstrate relatively high level CD34 and DR expression, lower level CD33 expression and more frequent expression of the CD19 and CD56 surface markers, when compared to t(8;21) negative M2s (Hurwitz et al, 1992;Kita et al, 1992;Orazi et al, 1992). In contrast, the CD7 T lymphoid/myeloid marker is rarely found on t(8;21) positive blasts (Tatsumi et al, 1992).…”

“…Analysis of t(8;21) positive leukaemic blasts has shown characteristic morphological (Berger et al, 1982;Nucifora et al, 1994; tend to be over-represented in the peripheral blood. Immunophenotypic analysis (Hurwitz et al, 1992;Kita et al, 1992Kita et al, , 1994Paietta et al, 1993;Tatsumi et al, 1992) has shown that t(8;21)-positive AMLs frequently express CD19, CD56 and high intensity CD34. In contrast, CD2 and CD7 are rarely expressed and CD33 is characteristically weak.…”

Clinical, haematological and molecular studies in patients with chromosome translocation t(7;11): a study of four Chinese patients in Taiwan

“…AML patients with some specific chromosomal abnormalities showed distinct immunophenotypes: an association was noted between t(15;17) and negativity to HLA-DR and CD34, t(8;21) and B-cell associated marker CD19, and t(9;22) and lymphoid markers (Ball et al, 1991;Marosi et al, 1992;Kita et al, 1992;Tien et al, 1995). Immunophenotyping was performed only in a few patients with t(7;11) (Abe et al, 1995;Fujimura et al, 1993).…”

Establishment of a myeloid leukaemia cell line (Kasumi‐4) with t(9;22;11)(q34;q11;q13), inv(3)(q21q26) and the EVI1 gene activation from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukaemia in blast crisis

“…Surface marker analysis and cytogenetic studies. Cell surface antigens were detected by flow cytometry (Ortho Cytron), as reported previously (Kita et al, 1992).…”