--Immunophenotypic Aberrancies in Acute Leukemia: A Tertiary Care Centre Experience

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Immunophenotyping

Background:

• Acute leukemias (AL) are aggressive hematological malignancies characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of blast cells.
• Neoplastic cells in AL often exhibit aberrant antigen expression, deviating from normal hematopoietic maturation patterns.
• Accurate diagnosis and classification of AL are critical for effective treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the occurrence and patterns of aberrant antigen expression in newly diagnosed acute leukemia cases.
• To assess the utility of flow cytometry in the diagnosis and classification of different subtypes of AL.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 100 newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients was studied.
• Bone marrow aspiration and peripheral blood samples were analyzed using flow cytometry.
• A comprehensive panel of monoclonal antibodies was employed for immunophenotypic analysis.

Main Results:

• Of 100 cases, 53 were acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 43 acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), and 4 mixed phenotypic acute leukemia (MPAL).
• Aberrant antigen expression was frequently observed across all AL subtypes.
• Flow cytometry successfully differentiated ALL subtypes (B-ALL and T-ALL) and identified specific aberrant markers in AML and ALL.

Conclusions:

• Flow cytometry is an indispensable tool for diagnosing and classifying acute leukemias, especially for lineage assignment in ALL and MPAL.
• Detection of aberrant antigen expression via flow cytometry aids in refining AL diagnosis.
• Flow cytometry plays a role in minimal residual disease detection, guiding therapeutic decisions.