Clinical and histological features retain their prognostic impact under interferon therapy of CML: a pilot study

In 55 patients with Ph1+ CML under interferon (IFN) monotherapy, an immunohistochemical and morphometric study on pretreatment bone marrow biopsies was performed to evaluate the prognostic impact of clinical as well as histological disease features. For identification of megakaryocytes we used the PAS stain and CD61 to calculate the subfraction of precursors (pro- and megakaryoblasts). Demonstration of macrophages and their different subsets was carried out by PG-M1 (CD68) and the GSA-1 lectin. The erythroid precursors were stained by Ret40f (anti-glycophorin C). Density of argyrophilic (reticulin plus collagen) fibers was determined by applying Gomori's silver impregnation method. Clinical variables like state of hematological response to IFN administration, age, spleen and liver size, myeloblasts plus promyelocytes, basophils as well as basophils and eosinophils exerted a predictive capacity by univariate statistical analysis. However, when entering these factors into previously published risk models, i.e., the so-called Sokal score and its modifications, to assess subgroups with different survival patterns or relative risk groups, a clear-cut discrimination was not feasible. Bone marrow features of prognostic value consisted of megakaryocytes and their precursors, fibers, and pro- and erythroblasts. Only when including histological variables into a formerly reported Cox model, could a significant separation of patients into the different categories or relative risk groups be computated. In conclusion, the present data emphasize the prognostic impact of histological parameters to be considered in all clinical trials on CML.