Correlation between ALIP-like cluster and fibrous proliferation in bone marrow of patients with acute myeloid leukemia in CR phase

Abstract

This study was purposed to elucidate the prognostic values of ALIP (abnormal location of immature precursors)-like clusters and fibrous proliferation in bone marrow of AML patients in CR phase and the correlation between them. The bone marrow biopsy sections from 47 AML patients during admitting to relapse or till lost follow-up were examined retrospectively. The 47 patients were divided into pre-relapsed group and non-relapsed group according to relapse or not at end of follow-up. The concentration of ALIP-like cluster and reticulin fiber density (RFD) in sections were compared between the two groups respectively, the prognostic value of these two factors and the underlying relationship between them were estimated by statistical analysis. The results showed that ALIP-like cluster was (3.46 ± 2.71)/mm(2) during CR and RFD was (2.76% ± 1.50%) in pre-relapsed cases, which both were higher than those in non-relapsed cases (P < 0.05). Cases with ALIP-like cluster over 4/mm(2) or with RFD>1.68% showed high relapse rates of 89.5% or 95.2% respectively. RFD were (2.47% ± 2.48%) and (2.44% ± 2.23%) in cases with >4/mm(2) or ≤ 4/mm(2) respectively, there was no statistical significance (P > 0.05) . Meanwhile, the amount of ALIP-like cluster in CR not related with the paired RFD (r = 0.057, P > 0.05). It is concluded that both ALIP-like cluster in CR and RFD are poor prognostic factors for heralding early relapse. However, ALIP-like cluster and RFD show no correlation, and suggest that forming of ALIP not depends on fibrogenesis.