Clinical Significance of CD34 Antigen Positivity in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Ahn, Sung Ryon; Lim, Young Tak

Abstract

PURPOSE: CD34 antigen is an early marker of hematopoietic progenitors. CD34 expression on leukemic cells might define peculiar characteristics of immaturity. The prognostic significance of CD34 antigen expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL), especially in children, is still not well established. To evaluate the prognostic value of CD34 expression in childhood ALL, we compared the clinical features, laboratory findings and survival rates according to the presence of CD34 antigen in patients with ALL.
METHODS
We conducted retrospective reviews in 38 children with ALL who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics in Pusan National University Hospital between July 1994 and December 1999. We analyzed and compared the clinical features, laboratory findings and survival rates of CD34 ALL with those of CD34-ALL.
RESULTS
CD34 antigen was expressed more on B-lineage ALL (71.9%) than T-lineage ALL (16.7%). There was no statistical differences in age, sex, clinical manifestations (eg, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, CNS involvement) and initial laboratory findings. In B- lineage ALL, CD34 positive group had higher complete remission rate. CD34 antigen positive group had better overall survival rate than that of CD34 negative group both in ALL and B-lineage ALL, but there was no difference in disease free survival rate between two groups.
CONCLUSION
It suggests that CD34 positivity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia could be prognostic value by demonstrating higher overall survival rate than that of CD34 negative group.