TY - JOUR
T1 - Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase expression in acute myelogenous leukemia and myelodysplasia as determined by flow cytometry
AU - Huh, Yang O.
AU - Smith, Terry L.
AU - Collins, Patricia
AU - Bueso-Ramos, Carlos
AU - Albitar, Maher
AU - Kantarjian, Hagop M.
AU - Pierce, Sherry A.
AU - Freireich, Emil J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Thanks to Jude Richard for editorial advice in preparation of this manuscript. This work was supported in part by National Cancer Institute Grant No. CA-16072.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - The significance of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) expression in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) remains controversial. Therefore, we studied TdT expression by flow cytometry in 120 previously untreated patients with AML or myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS) to determine the distribution of TdT-positive blasts and the intensity of TdT expression and to seek clinically significant associations. TdT expression measured by flow cytometry (flow TdT%) was heterogeneous, ranging from 0.1% to 87% (median, 8.5%), and 74 patients (62%) had at least 5% TdT-positive blasts. TdT positivity was associated with the M0 or M1 subtype and with expression of CD34 and CD7. No significant correlation was found between TdT expression and type of cytogenetic abnormality or rearrangement of immunoglobulin or T-cell receptor genes. Remission lasted longer in patients with a flow TdT% < 5 than in patients with a flow TdT% > 5 (median, 95 weeks vs 55 weeks, p = 0.02); however, complete remission rates did not differ when patients were classified by initial flow TdT%. Survival was slightly better for patients with flow TdT% less than 5%. Among patients with a flow TdT% > 5%, those with a higher TdT intensity survived longer than those with a lower intensity. These data suggest that quantitative TdT measurement may contribute to prognostic estimate in AML patients.
AB - The significance of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) expression in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) remains controversial. Therefore, we studied TdT expression by flow cytometry in 120 previously untreated patients with AML or myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS) to determine the distribution of TdT-positive blasts and the intensity of TdT expression and to seek clinically significant associations. TdT expression measured by flow cytometry (flow TdT%) was heterogeneous, ranging from 0.1% to 87% (median, 8.5%), and 74 patients (62%) had at least 5% TdT-positive blasts. TdT positivity was associated with the M0 or M1 subtype and with expression of CD34 and CD7. No significant correlation was found between TdT expression and type of cytogenetic abnormality or rearrangement of immunoglobulin or T-cell receptor genes. Remission lasted longer in patients with a flow TdT% < 5 than in patients with a flow TdT% > 5 (median, 95 weeks vs 55 weeks, p = 0.02); however, complete remission rates did not differ when patients were classified by initial flow TdT%. Survival was slightly better for patients with flow TdT% less than 5%. Among patients with a flow TdT% > 5%, those with a higher TdT intensity survived longer than those with a lower intensity. These data suggest that quantitative TdT measurement may contribute to prognostic estimate in AML patients.
KW - Acute myelogenous leukemia
KW - Flow cytometry
KW - Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase
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U2 - 10.3109/10428190009089432
DO - 10.3109/10428190009089432
M3 - Article
C2 - 10752983
AN - SCOPUS:0034065661
SN - 1042-8194
VL - 37
SP - 319
EP - 331
JO - Leukemia and Lymphoma
JF - Leukemia and Lymphoma
IS - 3-4
ER -