Detection and analysis of immune molecules in leukemia cell surfaces of acute promyelocytic leukemia

: Objective To investigate the immunophenotypic characteristics of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and its clinical significance. Methods Immunophenotyping was performed by four-color flow cytometry with CD45/SSC-lin gating for neoplastic cells and was divided into five levels according to the intensity of antigen expression. Results The expression intensity and percentage of typical APL phenotypes were: myeloperoxidase (MPO) and CD33 were consistently expressed (100%); CD38 (82.35%), CD13 (64.71%), CD64 (50%), CD123 (47.06%) and CD117 (44.12%) were partially expressed. HLA-DR (97.06%) and CD34 (99.02%) were negative. Post-chemotherapy remission rate in the Lym+APL patients was significantly lower than that in the Lym-APL patients. Conclusion The typical phenotypic characteristics in APL immunophenotyping were high SSC, CD33+ (grade I), CD38+ (grade I), MPO+ (grade I), CD13+ (grade III), CD64+ (grade I/III), CD117+ (grade II/III/IV), CD123+ (grade III/IV), CD11b-, HLA-DR-, CD34-. Understanding of the immunophenotypic features of APL contributes to rapid diagnosis of APL and the guidance of minimal residual disease (MRD) detection.