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Immunophenotypic characterization of acute leukemia at a public oncology reference center in Maranhão, northeastern
Elda Pereira Noronha1, Heliana Trindade Marinho, Erika Bárbara Abreu Fonseca Thomaz
1Clinical Research Center, University Hospital, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. eldanoronha@yahoo.com.br
Insights
This study found high incidences of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) M0 in adults and T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in children in Maranhão, Brazil. Aberrant phenotypes in pediatric ALL did not correlate with prognostic factors.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Geographical variations exist in acute leukemia (AL) subtype incidence.
- Understanding regional AL subtype distribution is crucial for targeted healthcare and research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of morphological and immunophenotypic AL subtypes in Maranhão, Brazil.
- To correlate aberrant phenotypes in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with prognostic factors.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study conducted at a public oncology reference center.
- Diagnosis involved complete blood counts, myelograms, cytochemical analysis, and immunophenotyping for 70 AL cases.
- Data collected between September 2008 and January 2010.
Main Results:
- In adults (n=22), AL distribution was 22.7% ALL and 77.3% acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with AML M0 being most frequent (29.4%).
- In children (n=48), AL distribution was 18.7% AML (most frequent AML M4 at 33.4%), 4.2% biphenotypic acute leukemia (BAL), and 77.1% ALL (72.9% B-ALL, 27.1% T-ALL).
- No significant association was found between aberrant phenotypes and prognostic factors in pediatric ALL patients.
Conclusions:
- High frequencies of AML M0 in adults and T-ALL in children were observed in Maranhão.
- These findings suggest potential regional differences in AL subtype incidence across Brazil.
- Aberrant phenotype expression in pediatric ALL is not associated with prognostic factors in this cohort.
Context And Objectives:
The incidence of acute leukemia (AL) subtypes varies according to geographical distribution. The aim here was to determine the incidence of morphological and immunophenotypic AL subtypes in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, and to correlate the expression of aberrant phenotypes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with prognostic factors.
Design And Setting:
Single prospective cohort study at a public oncology reference center in Maranhão.
Methods:
Seventy AL cases were diagnosed between September 2008 and January 2010. For the diagnosis, complete blood cell counts, myelograms (at diagnosis and at the end of the induction phase), cytochemical analysis and immunophenotyping were performed.
Results:
Among adult patients (n = 22), the incidence of AL types was: ALL (22.7%) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (77.3%). The subtype AML M0 occurred most frequently (29.4%). In children (n = 48), the types were: AML (18.7%), most frequently subtype AML M4 (33.4%); biphenotypic acute leukemia (BAL) (4.2%); and ALL (77.1%), including the subtypes B-ALL (72.9%) and T-ALL (27.1%). Among the children with ALL, there were no statistically significant differences between patients with and without aberrant phenotypes, in relation to hematological parameters and treatment response.
Conclusion:
This work demonstrates that the frequencies of AML M0 cases among adults and T-ALL cases among children in Maranhão were high. This suggests that there may be differences in AML subtype incidence, as seen with ALL subtypes, in different regions of Brazil. No association was found between the expression of aberrant phenotypes and prognostic factors, in children with ALL.
