[The clinical and biological significance of megakaryocytic antigen expression in acute myeloid leukemia].

OBJECTIVE

To explore megakaryocytic (MK) antigen expression in previously untreated adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its relation to the clinical and biological characteristics.

METHODS

Two hundred and eleven cases of AML were detected with flow cytometric immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven cases (12.8%) were MK antigen positive with the higher positive rates in hybrid acute leukemia (45.5%) and acute monoblastic leukemia (24.1%). MK antigen expression was significantly correlated with CD34 antigen expression, high white cell count, high P-glycoprotein positivity and had no correlation with chromosome aberration. 33.3% of MK positive AML patients achieved complete remission which was significantly lower than that (71.9%) in MK negative cases.

CONCLUSION

MK antigen positive AML might derived from malignant transformation of hemotopoietic stem cell at earlier stage and the detection of MK expression was of values in predicting treatment effect and prognosis for adult AML.