OBJECTIVETo analyze the heterogeneous biological characteristics of acute leukemia (AL) patients with mistranslation expressed lymphoid and myeloid-related antigens, and it's prognosis-related factors.

METHODSTwo hundred and fourteen AL patiens with mistranslation expressed lymphoid and myeloid-related antigens were grouped according to immunophenotypes, and the heterogeneous biologic charecteristics and prognosis related factors were analyzed, moreover the survival curves were drawn to analyze the survival of patiens.

RESULTSThe immunophenotype in 214 cases was mainly cross-expression of myeloid and B lineage antigen (118 cases), followed by cross-expression of myeloid antigen and T lineage (88 cases), while the cross-expression of myeloid, T and B lineages, was less (only 8 cases). In ALL patiens with cross-expression of myeloid antigen, the CD33 was main type; while in AML patients with cross-expression of lymphoid antigen, CD7 was main type of lineage antigen, CD19 was main type of B lineage antigen. Among 214 AL patients, the cross-expression of CD55 and myeloid antigen was found in 30 cases, the cross-expression of CD7, CD19 and CD74 was observed in 6 cases, the cross-expressions of CD7, CD34 and CD56 was detected in 4 cases. Among AML patients with lymphoid antigen expression, the recurrent chromosmal abnormalities were found in 16 cases; among ALL patients with myeloid antigen expression, the recurrent chromosomal abnormalities were observed in 10 cases. The mistranslation antigen expression existed in 26 patients with recurrent chromosomal abnormalities, the mistranslated CD33 and CD13 in ALL patients with myeloid antigen expression was common, while the mistranslated CD2, CD56 and CD19 in AML patients with lymphoid antigen expression was common. As compared with patients without lymphoid antigen expression, the survival rate decreased significantly in patients with mistranslated CD7(+) and CD34(+) (both P<0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that CD7, CD34 were main influencing factors for prognosis of AL patients (both P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe AL with mistranslation expressed lymphoid and myeloid antigens is a special kind of leukemia which possesses the heterogencous biological characteristcs and unique prognostic features, thus the immunophemotype of AL patients should be detected by flow cytometry. The existance of mistranlation-expressed differatiation antigens such as CD7 and CD34 is mainly influencing factors for the prognosis of AL patiens.