AML is a clonal proliferation of immature hematopoietic precursors involving primarily in the bone marrow. and blood. Immunopheno-typing by flow cytometry plays an important role in diagnosis and classification of AML.
Side scatter (SSC) and immunophenotyping of blasts helps to differentiate subtypes of AMLs. Aberrant expression of CD markers is important finding in acute myeloid leukaemia which represents a poor prognosis.
There are many studies that have found aberrant lymphoid CD expression in acute myeloid leukaemia. In our study there were 11 cases (42.3%) with such aberrant expression. There are studies with 48%, 58% and 30% reported by Khalidi et al. and John et al., Azad AK et al. and Zhu et al. respectively.
CD 7 is the commonest aberrant marker found in AML in most studies. In our study the frequency was 45.4% (5 out of the 11 cases). A study by Zheng J et al. revealed that the CD 7 expression was 20.5% with 37% and 24% in studies of Bahia DM et al and Reading CL et al respectively. Kita K et al. revealed that young AML male patients with CD 7 expression had a higher incidence of hepatomegaly and central nervous system involvement in contrast to CD7 negative AML patients. It has also been learnt that patients with aberrant expression of CD 7 had responded poorly to the standard chemotherapy with an unfavorable outcome.
Author(s) Details:
C. Kariyawasan
Department of Hematology, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Sri Lanka.
L. T. Balasuriya
Department of Hematology, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Sri Lanka.
A. C. D. Ranatunga
Department of Hematology, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Sri Lanka.
Recent Global Research Developments in Aberrant CD7 Expression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Impact and Clinical Implications
Prognostic Value: CD7 expression in AML is associated with poorer outcomes, including lower overall survival and higher relapse rates. A study published in the International Journal of Hematology found that CD7-positive AML patients had a significantly lower 2-year overall survival rate compared to CD7-negative patients[1] .
Association with Genetic Mutations: CD7 expression is often linked with specific genetic mutations, such as FLT3/ITD. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology highlighted that AML patients with FLT3/ITD mutations frequently exhibit aberrant CD7 expression, which is associated with a more aggressive disease course[2] .
Clinical Implications: The presence of CD7 can influence treatment decisions. For instance, CD7-positive AML patients may require more intensive monitoring and potentially different therapeutic approaches due to their higher risk of relapse and poorer response to standard treatments[3] .
References
- Lv, K., Cai, C., Chen, J. et al. Prognostic value of lymphoid marker CD7 expression in acute myeloid leukemia patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in first morphological complete remission. Int J Hematol 114, 464–471 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-021-03182-y
- Veronica Rausei-Mills, Karen L. Chang, Karl K. Gaal, Lawrence M. Weiss, Qin Huang, Aberrant Expression of CD7 in Myeloblasts Is Highly Associated With De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemias With FLT3/ITD Mutation, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, Volume 129, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 624–629, https://doi.org/10.1309/NRTX9AKXHR5JBT93
- Raza, H., Fatima, M., Noor, T., Umer, S., Imran, A., & Malik, N. A. (2022). The frequency of aberrant CD7 antigen expression in acute myeloid leukaemia patients. Cureus, 14(2).
