Blast vacuolization in AML patients indicates adverse-risk AML and is associated with impaired survival after intensive induction chemotherapy

  • Introduction: Vacuolization is a frequently found morphological feature in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts. Subcellular origin and biological function as well as prognostic impact are currently unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether vacuolization correlates with clinically relevant AML features. Materials & methods: Bone marrow smears of patients diagnosed with AML at the University Hospital Frankfurt between January 2011 and August 2013 were analyzed for blast vacuolization and correlated with clinically relevant AML features. Patients undergoing standard induction chemotherapy were further analyzed for molecular and cytogenetic features as well as treatment response and survival. Results: 14 of 100 patients diagnosed with AML receiving standard induction chemotherapy had evidence of blast vacuolization. Positivity for vacuolization correlated with a CD15 positive immunophenotype and with a higher incidence of high-risk AML according to the European LeukemiaNet risk stratification. AML patients with blast vacuolization had a poor blast clearance after standard induction chemotherapy and poor survival. Discussion: In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that vacuolization can easily be determined in myeloid leukemia blasts and may be a useful biomarker to predict AML risk groups as well as early treatment response rates and survival.

Download full text files

Export metadata

Metadaten
Author:Olivier Karl Friedrich BalloORCiDGND, Jan StratmannGND, Hubert ServeORCiDGND, Björn SteffenGND, Fabian FinkelmeierORCiDGND, Christian Hubertus BrandtsORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-512837
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223013
ISSN:1932-6203
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31568521
Parent Title (English):PLoS one
Publisher:PLoS
Place of publication:Lawrence, Kan.
Contributor(s):Francesco Bertolini
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of Completion:2019
Date of first Publication:2019/09/30
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2019/10/07
Tag:Acute myeloid leukemia; Bone marrow; Cancer chemotherapy; Chemotherapy; Cytogenetics; Deletion mutation; Karyotypes; Vacuoles
Volume:14
Issue:(9): e0223013
Page Number:12
First Page:1
Last Page:12
Note:
Copyright: © 2019 Ballo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
HeBIS-PPN:45538925X
Institutes:Medizin / Medizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Open-Access-Publikationsfonds:Medizin
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 4.0