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CD1c(+) myeloid dendritic cells in myeloid neoplasia
Howard J Meyerson1, Ebenezer Osei1, Karen Schweitzer1
1Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Seidman Cancer Center Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106.
Insights
Elevated CD1c(+) myeloid dendritic cells (MDCs) are common in myeloid leukemias, particularly chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This increase is notably associated with AML exhibiting the inv(16) cytogenetic abnormality.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Hematology
- Oncology
Background:
- CD1c(+) myeloid dendritic cells (MDCs) play a role in immune responses.
- Understanding MDC levels in myeloid neoplasms is crucial for diagnosis and prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the normal levels and phenotype of CD1c(+) MDCs in blood and bone marrow.
- To evaluate the frequency and associations of CD1c(+) MDC elevations in myeloid neoplasms.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to quantify CD1c(+) MDCs in blood and bone marrow.
- Immunohistochemistry was employed to assess cell distribution in myeloid neoplasms.
- Comparison was made with non-neoplastic hospital controls.
Main Results:
- CD1c(+) MDCs were elevated in 18.0% of myeloid malignancies.
- Increases were significantly associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
- A strong association was found between elevated CD1c(+) MDCs and AML with the inv(16) cytogenetic abnormality.
Conclusions:
- Elevated CD1c(+) MDC levels are a notable finding in myeloid leukemias.
- CD1c(+) MDC elevations are particularly linked to CMML and AML, especially AML with inv(16).
- Unlike plasmacytoid dendritic cells, increased CD1c(+) MDCs did not show cellular clustering.
Abstract:
We determined the normal level and phenotype of CD1c(+) myeloid dendritic cells (MDCs) in blood and bone marrow and evaluated the level of CD1c(+) MDCs in 295 myeloid neoplasms. CD1c(+) MDCs were increased above the mean level of non-neoplastic hospital controls in 18.0% (53/295) of myeloid malignancies, increased three standard deviations above the control mean in 14.2% (42/295) with a 10-fold or more increase compared to mean in 6.8% (20/295). Increased CD1c(+) MDCs were associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) (12/24, 50%) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (31/140, 22%) with a strong association with AML with the inv(16) cytogenetic abnormality. The cells were not increased in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and rarely increased in non-CML myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Immunohistochemical staining of cases with increased CD1c(+) MDCs did not reveal clustering of the cells unlike that observed with myeloid neoplasms associated with increased plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Our findings indicate CD1c(+) MDC elevations are not uncommon in myeloid leukemias and are associated with CMML and AML, particularly AML with inv(16). © 2015 International Clinical Cytometry Society.
