Background: There is paucity of detailed studies of adult T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in developing countries reflecting the condition of these patients including clinical and biological features.
Objective: This study was carried out to analyze the immunophenotypic characteristics of 40 Moroccan patients with T-ALL and its association with biological and clinical features.
Patients and methods: Between 2006 and 2009, 130 adult patients diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were immunophenotyped by 3-color flow cytometry using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. Cases presenting features of a T-lineage phenotype were subjected to detailed analysis including immunophenotypic, clinical and biological parameters.
Results: Proportion of T-ALL among ALL Moroccan patients was 31.0%. Median age of patients was 28 years. Twenty-nine patients were females and 11 were males. 45.0% of patients (18/40) had features of immature T-ALL stages (pro-T and pre-T ALL), 30.0% (12/40) of CD1a+ cortical T-ALL stage and 25.0% (10/40) had a characteristic phenotype of medullary T-ALL. The frequencies of progenitor cell markers CD10, CD34 and TdT expression were 14.0; 57.5% and 50.0% respectively. The aberrant expression of B lineage associated antigen CD79a were positive in 20.5% of the cases and the aberrant expression of myeloid antigens CD13 and/or CD33 was found in 22 (55.0%) cases. No significant association was encountered between TdT, CD34 or myeloid antigens positivity and high risk features at presentation as age, sex, and white blood cells. However, myeloid antigens (CD13 and/or CD33) was significantly associated with T-cell maturation stages (p = 0.009).
Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report from North Africa of immunophenotypic study on adult T-ALL. Our findings indicate that the proportion of T-ALL among ALL in Morocco is similar to that reported in others Mediterranean countries like France and Italy and that myeloid-associated antigens expression is frequently associated with immature immunophenotype.