Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 29, 2025
Identification and Analysis of Mouse Erythroid Progenitors using the CD71/TER119 Flow-cytometric Assay
Published on: August 5, 2011
GLUT1 Immunohistochemistry Is a Highly Sensitive and Relatively Specific Marker for Erythroid Lineage in Benign and
Benjamin A Kaumeyer1, Shiraz S Fidai1,2, Beenu Thakral3
1Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Objectives:
Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), a glucose transporter, is an abundant protein in erythrocytes with expression beginning early in erythropoiesis. We sought to evaluate the utility of GLUT1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a diagnostic marker for identifying erythroid differentiation in hematopoietic tissues, including neoplastic erythroid proliferations.
Methods:
A variety of benign and neoplastic bone marrow biopsy specimens containing variable proportions of erythroid precursors were selected (n = 46, including 36 cases of leukemia). GLUT1 IHC was performed using a commercially available polyclonal antibody. Each case was evaluated for staining of erythroid precursors, nonerythroid hematopoietic cells, and blasts. A GATA1/GLUT1 double stain was performed on one case to confirm coexpression of GLUT1 on early erythroid precursors. Staining was compared with other erythroid markers, including glycophorin C.
Results:
GLUT1 demonstrated strong membranous staining in erythroid precursors of all cases, which was restricted largely to the erythroid lineage. Of the 36 leukemia cases, all 6 cases of pure erythroid leukemia and both cases of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia with erythroid differentiation showed positive GLUT1 staining in blasts. Otherwise, only lymphoblasts in B-lymphoblastic leukemia showed weak to moderate granular cytoplasmic staining (four of five cases).
Conclusions:
GLUT1 IHC is a highly sensitive and relatively specific marker for erythroid lineage in benign and neoplastic bone marrow biopsy specimens.
