In vivo and in vitro activity of neutrophil alkaline phosphatase in acute
myelocytic leukemia with 8;21 translocation
N Kamada, H Dohy, K Okada, N Oguma, A Kuramoto, K Tanaka and H Uchino
Cytogenetic studies were made on 160 patients with acute nonlymphocytic
leukemia (ANLL) between 1963 and 1979, of whom 115 had acute myelocytic
leukemia with 67 patients showing aneuploidy (58.3%). Among these, 24
patients were found to have similar chromosome alterations that appeared to
involve specifically chromosomes 8 and 21. Banding studies on at least 7 of
these patients confirmed the presence of a translocation between these two
chromosomes. Of 160 ANLL patients, 142 were scored for neutrophil alkaline
phosphatase (neutrophil AP) at the time of diagnosis. Fifty-nine patients
showed a low neutrophil AP score, 42 a normal value, and 41 a high value.
All patients with 8;21 (or C/G) translocation had a low neutrophil AP score
and leukemic cells with maturation (M2 of FAB classification) in the bone
marrow. In vitro liquid culture for 2 wk of 8;21 translocated leukemic
cells revealed no increase of neutrophil AP activity nor increase of mature
granulocytes, whereas 9;22 translocated chronic myelocytic leukemia cells
with a low neutrophil AP score did so. Neutrophil AP score at the time of
diagnosis in acute myelocytic leukemia is very useful for detecting 8;21
translocation AML and for studying the pathophysiology and genetic
alterations of the characteristic subgroup of AML with 8'21 translocation.
Volume 58,
Issue 6,
pp. 1213-1217,
12/01/1981
Copyright © 1981 by The American Society of Hematology
