[Biological characteristics and therapeutic effect of acute erytho-leukemia]

The objective of this study was to investigate the biological characteristics and the therapeutic effect in patients with acute erythroleukemia (AML-M(6)). Morphology, immunophenotype and cytogenetics were retrospectively analyzed in 29 patients with AML-M(6) and were compared with 30 AML-M(2) patients. The results showed that there were immature cells (2% - 10%) and erythroblast, and puncture of bone marrow revealed myelodysplastic features involving multiple hemopoietic lineages in bone marrow of 19 patients. Flow cytometry indicated that the expression frequency of Gly-A in M(6) significantly increased (66.67 +/- 23.86)% and higher than that in M(1), M(2), M(3), M(4) and M(5) (P < 0.01). The expression frequencies of HLA-DR (60.00 +/- 24.79%), CD34 (40.00 +/- 24.79%), CD38 (33.33 +/- 23.86%) in M(6) were high, and the frequencies of myeloid immunophenotypes CD13 (66.67 +/- 23.86%), MPO (33.33 +/- 23.86%), CD33 (46.67 +/- 25.25%), CD15 (33.33 +/- 23.86%), CD117 (46.67 +/- 25.25%) were common as well in M(6). Lymphocytic immunophenotypes CD3, CD4, CD19 were detected in part of patients with M(6), and the expression frequencies of CD4 was 26.67%. The expression frequences of CD38, CD33, CD15, MPO in M(6) were less common than that in M(2) (P < 0.01). In 4 out of 9 M(6) patients the chromosomal abnormatility (44.44%) was seen, in one of which complex chromosome abnormality was found. The complete remmision rate of M(6) patients was 29.41%, and lower than that of M(2) patients (68.18%, P < 0.01). It is concluded that Gly-A is a specific immunophenotype in M(6), which can help to distinguish M(6) from other types of acute myeloid leukemia. Poor clinical therapeutic response may correlated with its biological characteristics.