CD7 Expression Tied to Poorer Outcomes With Newly Diagnosed Leukemia

FRIDAY, May 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- CD7 expression is associated with poorer outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a study published online April 11 in the British Journal of Haematology.

Wei-Ying Jen, B.M., B.Ch., from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues collected flow cytometry data on 901 patients with AML and examined aberrant CD7 expression on leukemic blasts.

The researchers found that 29.2 percent had blasts positive for CD7. Adverse risk was more likely (64.6 versus 55.6 percent) and favorable risk was less likely (15.2 versus 24.1 percent) with CD7-positive AML by European LeukemiaNet 2022 criteria. Additionally, overall survival was inferior (11.9 versus 19.0 months). Moderate instability over time was seen, with 30.4 percent losing and 19.0 percent gaining CD7 at relapse.

"In summary, we report on a large population of AML with attention to CD7 expression, genomic profiles and patient outcomes," the authors write. "The retrospective nature of the study and the number of associated cytomolecular characteristics require a large sample size, and the identification of any associations will require further evaluation and confirmation in independent datasets."

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