Prognostic impact of CD200 and CD56 expression in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients

ABSTRACT

Background: The aim of the study is to determine the prognostic relevance of CD200/ CD56 expression in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.

Methods: The expression of CD200 and CD56 by blast cells was assessed by flow cytometry before the start of chemotherapy in 70 B-ALL patients.

Results: Positive expression of CD200 was detected in forty-six patients (66%) and CD56 was detected in 7 patients (10%) out of 70 patients, respectively. Only three patients (4.3%) had co-expression for CD200⁺ and CD56⁺. Splenomegaly and thrombocytopenia were frequently observed more in CD200⁺ patients. Increased frequency of CD34⁺ was associated with CD200⁺and CD56⁺ patients. The CD200⁺ and CD56⁺ subgroups of B-ALL patients had inferior OS and disease free survival compared to CD 200⁻ and CD 56⁻ patients.

Conclusions: CD200⁺ and/or CD56⁺ positive expression in B-ALL patients at diagnosis is a poor prognostic biomarker. Identification of CD200⁺ and CD56⁺ expression at diagnosis is recommended for a better stratification of adult B-ALL patients.

KEYWORDS:

• CD200
• CD56
• adult ALL
• outcome
• flowcytometry

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.