Phenotypic subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia associated with different nuclear chromatin texture

To determine if phenotypic subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are associated with different nuclear textures.

In 49 newly diagnosed patients, diagnostic work-up was made by routinely Giemsa-stained smears and immunophenotyping. B-precursor ALL was further subdivided by European Group for the Immunological Classification of Leukemias criteria. T-ALL was analyzed as a whole group. One hundred nuclear images were acquired; standard morphometric variables and texture features derived from the co-occurrence matrix were calculated.

In T-ALL, nuclei presented higher mean and minimal gray levels and higher local homogeneity and angular second moment but lower entropy values, contrast, diagonal moment and cluster prominence than did nuclei in B-derived ALL. In T-ALL, peripheral blood (PB) leukocyte count showed significant positive correlation with minimal gray level and inverse correlation with nuclear area. In B-ALL, peripheral leukocyte count showed positive correlation with mean fluorescence intensity of CD45. In T-ALL but not in B-ALL, inverse correlation existed among age and PB leukocyte count and mean gray levels, and direct correlation existed with nuclear area and mean optical density.

ALL of B- or T-origin presented significant differences in nuclear texture features, probably reflecting different molecular events associated with cell differentiation, gene methylation pattern, apoptosis, and lineage-specific functional events.