Epidemiological and immunophenotypic characterization of acute myeloid leukemias

Abstract

Acute leukemias are a group of hematopoietic stem cell malignancies characterized by the proliferation and accumulation of immature cell (blasts) clones that associate medullary insufficiency syndrome (anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia). Depending on the origin of the malignant clone, two major categories of acute leukemias are: acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Studies show an annual incidence of acute leukemias in European adults of 5-6 cases per 100,000 people with an increase in over 70 years of age, reaching an incidence of about 15-20 / 100,000 people. Of the total acute myeloid leukemias, 20% occur in children and 80% are among adults. Diagnosis of acute leukemias is based on the recognition of morphological, cytochemical, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic and molecular biology changes. Immunophenotyping plays a major role in the diagnosis and classification of acute leukemias, in differentiation of acute myeloid and lymphocytic leukemias and in detection of minimal residual disease.

Keywords

• acute myeloid leukemia
• methods and diagnostic procedures
• immunophenotyping