Flow Cytometric Assessment of CD26-Positive Leukemic Stem Cells: A Rapid and Valuable Tool in the Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

摘要: ObjectiveThis study was undertaken to determine the proportion of CD26-positive LSCs at diagnosis and its change during tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.DesignThis prospective study was conducted on 43 cases of CML at diagnosis. For flow cytometry, peripheral blood cells were stained with CD45, CD34, CD38, CD3, and CD26. A sequential gating strategy with CD45/SSC (side scatter), CD34/SSC, and CD34/CD38 was applied to identify CD45+/34+/38-populations, from which CD26-positive stem cells were identified and compared with controls. Data analysis was done with Kaluza software.ResultsAll patients diagnosed with CML were detected with CD26-positive LSCs. The median percentage of CD26-positive CML LSCs was 0.02 with a range of 0.001 to 1.77. None of the control samples showed CD26 positivity. The percentage and absolute count of CD26-positive CML LSCs were reduced after six …