Article

Original Article

Korean J Lab Med 2010; 30(2): 97-104

Published online April 1, 2010 https://doi.org/10.3343/kjlm.2010.30.2.97

Copyright © Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine.

Immunophenotypic Features of Granulocytes, Monocytes, and Blasts in Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Hee Won Moon, M.D.1, Jung Won Huh, M.D.2, Miae Lee, M.D.2, Ki Sook Hong, M.D.2, and Wha Soon Chung, M.D.2

Department of Laboratory Medicine1, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul; Department of Laboratory Medicine2, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to: Wha Soon Chung, M.D.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, 911-1 Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 158-056, Korea
Tel : +82-2-2650-5043 Fax : +82-2-2650-5091
E-mail : wschung@ewha.ac.kr

Received: June 17, 2009; Revised: February 10, 2010; Accepted: February 12, 2010

Abstract

Background: Despite the diagnostic utility of immunophenotyping for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), it has not been widely performed, and reports on this are absent in Korea. We aimed to evaluate the immunophenotypic features of non-blastic granulocytes, monocytes, and blasts in patients with MDS and non-clonal disorders using routine flow cytometry (FCM). Moreover, we evaluated the phenotypic abnormalities of mature cells in leukemic patients.
Methods: Marrow aspirates from 60 patients, including 18 with MDS, 18 with leukemia, and 24 with non-clonal disorders (control group), were analyzed using FCM. Blasts, non-blast myeloid cells, and monocytes were gated based on CD45 expression and side scatter (SSC). The phenotypes were then compared among the 3 groups.
Results: Compared to non-clonal disorders, the granulocytic lineages of MDS showed decreased SSC (P=0.005), increased CD45 intensity (P=0.020), decreased CD10-positive granulocytes (P= 0.030), and a higher CD56-positive rate (P=0.005). It is noteworthy that similar results were obtained in the leukemia group, and these findings were not related to the phenotypes of the leukemic cells. Using blast and monocytic gating, useful parameters for generating a differential diagnosis were not found.
Conclusions: Gating the granulocytic region is a relatively easy method for MDS immunophenotyping. Among the parameters studied, SSC, CD10, and CD56 were the most useful for differentiating MDS from non-clonal disorders. While immunophenotypic changes in MDS appear to be useful for differentiating MDS from non-clonal disorders, these changes were also noted in the mature cells of leukemic patients.

Keywords: Immunophenotyping, MDS, Granulocyte, Monocyte, Blast