Clinical relevance of thrombospondin receptor (CD36) expression in Egyptian de novo adult acute myeloid leukemia

Sherin M. Abd El-Aziz¹, Dalia A. Salem¹, Manal A. Salah-Eldin^2
1 Department of Clinical Pathology, Oncology Center, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt
² Department of Medical Oncology, Oncology Center, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt

Correspondence Address:
Sherin M. Abd El-Aziz
Department of Clinical Pathology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, 35516 Mansoura
Egypt

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

Check

DOI: 10.7123/01.EJH.0000423008.85761.a3

Acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that often present with different morphological, immunophenotypic, and cytogenetic patterns. Identification of these characteristics may be useful for a better prognostic evaluation and for a more appropriate therapeutic approach. CD36 is a transmembrane, highly glycosylated, glycoprotein commonly expressed on blasts in acute monocytic leukemia, megakaryoblastic leukemia, and erythroleukemia.

We evaluated CD36 surface expression in 97 newly diagnosed AML patients, and the results were correlated with the morphology, immunophenotype, cytogenetic pattern, and clinical outcome.

CD36 antigen was recorded in 48 of 97 patients (49.5%) and particularly in those with M5 and M6 FAB subtypes. Moreover, CD36 expression was significantly associated with the expression of CD11b (P=0.001) and CD14 (P=0.0001), unfavorable cytogenetic abnormalities (P=0.001), shorter overall survival (P>0.0001), and leukemia-free survival (P=0.03).

On the basis of the results of the study, it can be concluded that CD36 expression in AML patients may identify a subgroup with a poor prognosis, and may thus be a valuable adjunct to be added to the current prognostic factors.