Significance of in situ identification of apoptosis and proliferation rates in diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes / 中国实验血液学杂志

ABSTRACT

In order to investigate the significance of apoptosis and proliferation rates in differential diagnosis, evaluating curative effect and leukemia transformation in myelodysplastic syndromes, apoptosis index (AI) and proliferating index (PI) were assayed in marrow smears from 60 cases of MDS, 30 AML, 21 chronic aplastic anemia (CAA), 16 hemolytic anemia, 15 megaloblastic anemia and 30 normal controls. The apoptotic cells were assayed with TUNEL technique and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) by immunohistochemical method in situ. The results showed that average AI in marrow smears from 39 cases with MDS prior therapy was (11.2 +/- 8.8)% and PI was (17.3 +/- 8.7)%, significant differences were observed in MDS group and normal control group, as well as in AML, CAA, megaloblastic anemia and hemolytic anemia groups. Hypoplastic MDS can be distinguished from CAA by AI and PI. Clinical therapy induced significant alteration of AI and PI in MDS, AML and CAA. After therapy of MDS, the AI dropped from (11.2 +/- 8.8)% to (6.6 +/- 0.7)%. It was concluded that examination of AI and PI of marrow cells in situ may provide valuable prognostic information, also can contribute to evaluate therapeutic effectiveness.