THY-1 EXPRESSION ON BLAST CELLS FROM ADULT PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYELOID-LEUKEMIA

Bone marrow and peripheral blood from 28 adult patients with acute mye loid leukemia (AML) were analyzed for the surface expression of the Th y-1 antigen by dual-colour flow cytometry. The Thy-1 antigen was expre ssed on greater than 5% of cells from seven patients with the proporti ons of Thy-1 positive cells ranging from 8.1% to 85.0%. The CD34 + Thy -1 + phenotype was present in all seven cases. The expression of Thy-1 on leukemia cells from patients with AML may need to be considered in the development of methods of normal stem cell isolation from these p atients. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.