OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between peripheral white blood cell count and early death rate of the patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

METHODSThrough retrospective study, the relationship of early death rate in 116 cases newly diagnosed APL patients with maximum of peripheral blood white blood cell count should be analyzed before and after induction therapy as well as in the whole course of disease during the past 8 years.

RESULTSThere was a close relationship between the peripheral white blood cell count and the early death rate in APL patients. Peripheral blood white blood cell count in the early died patients was significantly higher than that of the survival patients (P<0.05). ROC analysis showed that the highest risk threshold of peripheral white cell count was 70×10/L (P<0.05) before treatment, while the highest risk threshold after treatment and in the whole course of disease were 96.4×10/L(P<0.05) and 91.5×10/L(P<0.01) respectively. The dealth rate of patients with highest risk threshold was significantly increased (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe highest peripheral blood white blood cell count closely relates with the early death rate of patients at different time points in the whole course of disease. Control of peripheral white blood cell count may effectively reduce the early death rate of APL patients.