Acute myeloid leukemia: immunohistologic findings in paraffin-embedded bone marrow biopsy specimens

Immunohistochemical investigations were performed on decalcified, paraffin-embedded iliac crest trephine biopsy specimens from 30 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML, as defined by the FAB classification) with antibodies against B cells (L26, 4KB5, MB1, Ki-B3), T cells (UCHL1, MT1), myeloid/histiocytic cells (anti-neutrophil elastase, MAC387, anti-S-100 protein, anti-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, DAKO-M1), natural killer/killer cells (anti-Leu-7), and megakaryocytes (anti-factor VIII-related antigen). (1) The blast cells of all the cases reacted with from at least two to at most eight different antibodies. Each antibody reacted with blast cells in a minimum of two (maximum 30) cases. (2) MT1, Ki-B3, anti-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin anti-neutrophil elastase, anti-S-100 protein, and MAC387 stained blast cells in more than 50% of the cases; MB1, L26, UCHL1, 4KB5, and DAKO-M1 in 20% to 50% of the cases; and anti-Leu-7 and anti-factor VIII-related antigen in less than 20% of the cases. (3) In the majority of cases many T lymphocytes, a small-to-moderate number of B lymphocytes, and a few Leu-7-positive lymphoid cells were intermingled with the blast cells. In some cases, especially where only a minor proportion of the blast cells was immunostained, it was nearly impossible to distinguish the lymphocytes of the tumor's stromal reaction from small blast cells. Thus, AML exhibits a heterogeneous immunophenotype in trephine biopsy specimens. Immunohistologic diagnosis of this disease in such specimens may be extremely difficult. Since staining of the blast cells with one or more of the antibodies generally used to define B cells, T cells, or their neoplastic derivatives is not uncommon, misinterpretation as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of high-grade malignancy could easily occur. These findings also suggest that mixed-type (hybrid) acute leukemias with coexpression of myeloid and lymphoid cell markers could be more common than generally realized.