Immunotyping of blasts in refractory anaemia with excess of blasts

Summary. A study of immunological markers was performed in 16 patients with newly diagnosed refractory anaemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) and RAEB in transformation (RAEB-T) and in 12 other patients with acute myeloid leukaemia evolving from RAEB or RAEB-T. Immunocytochemical investigation of bone marrow blasts was done using a modified indirect immunoperoxidase technique. This method permitted accurate morphological identification of blasts and other cells in bone marrow. The monoclonal antibodies used in RAEB and RAEB-T samples were anti-CD34, -c-kit, -HLA-DR and -CD13. The range of CD34 expression of blasts in RAEB samples was 1–14% (mean 6·2%) and in RAEB-T samples 29–48% (mean 35·5%). CD34 positivity was detected in 3·94% (mean 47·4%) of the bone marrow blasts in acute myeloid leukaemia evolving from RAEB and RAEB-T. Expression of c-kit was demonstrated only in a low percentage of blast cells in RAEB, RAEB-T and acute myeloid leukaemia following myelodysplasia. A high percentage (> 30%) of blasts in most patients with RAEB, RAEB-T and acute myeloid leukaemia was HLA-DR and CD13 positive. We observed the transformation from RAEB to acute myeloid leukaemia in three patients. The proportion of CD34 positive blasts increased to 25% and 32% in two patients. The third patient showed an unchanged percentage of CD34 positivity of blasts. These findings indicate that the CD34 positivity of blasts increases with the progression of myelodysplasia to RAEB-T and acute myeloid leukaemia demonstrating the instability of the clonal defect in myelodysplasia.