prevalence and clinical significance of anticardiolipin antibody in acute myeloblastic leukemia

ABSTRACT

Antiphospholipid antibodies, including lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin [aCL] antibodies are associated with a wide variety of disorders including malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and prognostic significance of aCL antibodies in Iranian patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia [AML]. Forty-one patients with AML [27 men and 14 women, mean age 34.9 +/- 16.7 years] were included in this study. aCL IgG and aCL IgM antibodies were evaluated in patients before induction chemotherapy. All patients were followed up for chemotherapy response. Antibodies [IgG, IgM or both] were found in 26 of 41 patients [63.4%], of whom 19 [46.3%] had a low titer, 6 [14.6%] a moderate titer and 1 [2.4%] a high antibody titer. No correlation was found between complete remission or relapse and aCL antibodies positivity. aCL antibody titers are slightly to moderately elevated in patients with hematologic malignancies, and these antibodies do not correlate with disease prognosis