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ICCS e-newsletter CSI Spring 2012. Weina Chen, MD, PhD Medical Director, Hematopathology Ameripath/Quest Diagnostics Dallas, Texas. Case History. The patient is a 70-year old female presented with mild leukocytosis. She has no prior history of any significant diseases and is asymptomatic .
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ICCS e-newsletter CSISpring 2012 Weina Chen, MD, PhD Medical Director, Hematopathology Ameripath/Quest Diagnostics Dallas, Texas
Case History The patient is a 70-year old female presented with mild leukocytosis. She has no prior history of any significant diseases and is asymptomatic.
Complete blood count WBC 10.70 NE 50% LY 39.4% MO 9.3% EO 0.7% BASO 0.6% RBC 4.41 HGB 12.7 HCT 37.7% MCV 85.5 MCHC 33.70 RDW 12.6 PLT 211.0
Work-up and evaluation Bone marrow (BM) aspirate and biopsy were procured. Flow cytometric analysis was performed on marrow aspirate and results from selected 4-color tubes are provided for review.
Flow cytometric analysis • Acquisition Beckman Coulter Epics XL (FCS2.0, System II) • Analyzed by Paint-A-Gate software (adapted to Coulter) • Tubes (FITC/PE/ECD/PC5) • Tube 1: Kappa/lambda/45/19+20 • Tube 2: 5/19/45/10 • Tube 3 : 8/4/45/38 • Tube 4: 15/117/45/34 • Tube 5: 20/10/19/38 • Tube 6: FMC-7/23/5/19 • Tube 7: Kappa/Lambda/5/19
Tube 1: Kappa/lambda/45/19+20 • A population of (CD19/20)+ B cells divided into 3 subsets based on intensity of CD45 • Blue (strong CD45) • Violet (intermediate CD45) • Cyan (dim CD45)
Tube 1: Kappa/lambda/45/19+20 • CD(19/20)+ B cells showing variable, polytypic light chain expression • Blue (strong CD45): polytypic surface Ig expression • Violet (intermediate CD45): a subset polytypic sIg • Cyan (dim CD45): no surface Ig
Tube 2: 5/19/45/10 • Differential expression of CD5 and CD10 on 3 subsets of B cells • Blue (subset CD5+, CD10-) • Violet (CD5-, CD10+) • Cyan (CD5-, CD10bright+)
Tube 3 : 8/4/45/38 • Differential expression of CD38 on 3 subsets of B cells • Blue (CD38variable/partial +) • Violet (CD38uniform strong +) • Cyan (CD38+)
Tube 4: 15/117/45/34 • Differential expression of CD34 on 3 subsets of B cells • Blue (CD34-) • Violet (CD34-) • Cyan (CD38+) • Of note, myeloblasts in red express CD117 and CD34
Tube 5: 20/10/19/38 • Differential expression of CD10, 20 and CD38 on 3 subsets of CD19(+) B cells • Blue (CD10-, CD20+, CD38variably/partial+) • Violet (CD10+, CD20variably+, CD38uniform +) • Cyan (CD10bright+, CD20-, CD38+)
Tube 6: FMC-7/23/5/19 • Differential expression of CD5, CD23 and FMC7 on 3 subsets of CD19(+) B cells • Blue (CD5subset+, CD23partial +, FMC7+) • Violet (CD5subset+, CD23-, FMC7-) • Cyan (CD5-, CD23-, FMC7-)
Tube 7: Kappa/Lambda/5/19 • Differential expression of surface Ig and CD5 on subsets of CD19(+) B cells • Blue (CD5+, sIgpolytypic) • Violet (CD5predominantly -, sIg-) [In addition, CD13-, CD33- (data not shown); Tdt not tested]
Key flow plots in this case CD19(+)/CD20(+) B cells overall exhibiting a pattern of sequential maturation
Morphologic evaluation Marrow infiltrated by abundant small to medium-sized lymphoid cells with mature morphologic features although nuclear irregularity/convolution and small cytoplasmic vacuoles observed in a few scattered lymphoid cells.
Immunohistochemical evaluation CD20 CD79a CD34 Tdt CD10 A prominent CD79a(+) B-lymphoid hyperplasia of mostly CD10(+) B lymphocytes with increased Tdt(+) cells, some in clusters exceeding 3 or 4 cells
Questions… • There is an expansion of B cells overall exhibiting a spectrum of maturation. • Are these normal maturing B-cell precursors (hematogones) or B-lymphoblasts?
A few words on hematogones… • Hematogones always express consistent, reproducible, complex spectrum of sequential antigen expression and lack aberrant antigen expression. • This defines hematogones into three stages of maturation • Stage 1 hematogones express CD34, high levels of CD10 and CD38, a moderate level of CD22, and absence of CD20. • Intermediate stage 2 hematogones downregulate CD34 completely and CD10 partially, while increasing expression of CD22 and CD20. • Stage 3 hematogones upregulate CD20 expression reaching the intensity of mature B cells, and CD10 and CD38 are slightly down-regulated with increasing expression of polytypic surface immunoglobulin light chains. • Subsequently, these cells mature into CD20(+), CD10(-) mature B cells. • CD5 is expressed on normal, polytypic B cells in a continuum, predominantly at later stages of maturation, specifically on stage 3 hematogones and mature B cells.
Comparison to a case with hematogone hyperplasia A case with hematogone (HG) hyperplasia case (bottom plots): Blue, mature B cells; Green, stage 2+3 HG; yellow, stage I HG
Comparison to a case with hematogone hyperplasia A case with hematogone (HG) hyperplasia case (bottom plots): Blue, mature B cells; Green, stage 2+3 HG; yellow, stage I HG
Questions… • These B cells exhibit a spectrum of maturation reminiscent of hematogones and unusual for neoplastic lymphoblasts. • Are these hematogones???
Answer… • No • These are B-lymphoblasts. • The key finding in this case (on BM sample) • Cytogenetics: 46, XX, t(9;22)(q34;q11.2)[17]/46, XX [3] • Positive FISH for t(9;22)/BCR-ABL1 in 79% of interphase cells
Answer… • Differential diagnosis • An early chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with background hematogone hyperplasia (but the usual morphologic features of CML not apparent) • Lymphoid blast crisis of CML (but no history of CML) • An early B-lymphoblastic leukemia with t(9;22)(q34;q11.2);BCR-ABL1
Favored Diagnosis B-lymphoblastic leukemia with t(9;22)(q34;q11.2);BCR-ABL1 Based on the high percent of t(9;22) positive cells (~70%), the entire B-cell population or the majority of B cells including polytypic B cells seems neoplastic.
A few words on B-lymphoblastic leukemia with t(9;22)(q34;q11.2);BCR-ABL1 • The most frequently observed chromosomal abnormality in adult B-ALL (25% vs. 3-5% in children) • Involving the ABL1 oncogene on chromosome 9 and the guanosine triphosphate–binding protein BCR on chromosome 22 • The resultant fusion protein having abnormal tyrosine kinase activity, leading to disturbances in proliferation, survival, and adhesion • In about 70% of cases of BCR-ABL1+ B-ALL, the expressed protein being 190 kDa, rather than the 210 kDa typically seen in CML • Associated with a poor prognosis in both childrenand adults
Unusual features in this case • Unusual presentation: close to normal CBC with differential at presentation • Unusual morphology: mature morphologic features with mild cytological atypia • Unusual immunophenotype: maturation spectrum reminiscent of hematogones (with only subtle deviation) • Unusual, indolent clinical course • Follow-up BM in 5 months (with only imatinib mesylate tx) • Close to normal CBC, asymptomatic • Persistent, but decreased B-lymphoblasts (similar phenotype) • RT-PCR: positive BCR-ABL1, p190, further supporting B-ALL
What are the clues to avoid misdiagnosis? • No apparent causes for hematogone hyperplasia • Common causes for hematogone hyperplasia: • Reactive conditions: AIDS, immune dysregulation, copper deficiency), BM involved by metastatic tumors • Regenerative conditions: post-chemotherapy and stem-cell transplant • Relatively high number of hematogones in children • Subtle immunophenotypic deviation from hematogones • Less distinct “ladder” of CD45 on subsets of B cells • Tdt positive cells, some in clusters exceeding 3 or 4 cells • The need to add new markers to distinguish hematogones from lymphoblasts • CD81, CD123
Take home messages • The immunophenotype of B-lymphoblasts is variable. • While the majority of cases having distinct immunophenotypic aberration deviated from hematogones, rare cases with immunophenotypic feature reminiscent of hematogones do exist. • Careful immunophenotypic analysis, clinical correlation for causes of hematogone hyperplasia, ancillary studies (cytogenetics, FISH/molecular studies) are the key elements to reach a correct diagnosis.
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