Pattern, clinical and laboratory features from of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients from Kurdistan-Iraq

Abstract

Background and objectives: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a heterogeneous group of neoplasm resulting from clonal proliferation and tissue infiltration by leukemic lymphoblasts. Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia is character- ized by distinctive clinical and genetic features in comparison to childhood leukemia. This study aimed to outline the clinco-hematological features of adult Iraqi patients newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Kurdis- tan-Iraq. Methods:This study was conducted at Hiwa Cancer Hospital in Sulaimani City and Nanakali Hospital in Erbil City, Kurdistan, Iraq. A total of 109 patients of newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia aged >15 years were included. Clinical history, physical examination, complete blood counts, with peripheral smear, bone marrow aspira- tion and immunophenotypic data (using flow cytometry) and genetic study were collected for all the enrolled cases. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 24 years with male to female ratio of 1.7:1. B- lineage was predominant at (76.1%), while T -lineage was less frequent, at 23.9%. Mean hemoglobin level was 9.1 g/dl (+2.3) with a range of (4-15.2) g/dl, white blood cells count had a range of (0.4-300) ×109/L, with a mean of 47.5 ×109/L (+62.5). The mean platelet count was 79×109/L (+83), and a range of (3-490) ×109/L. Fifty eight patients (53.2%) presented with lymphadenopathy, and seventy eight patients (71.6%) had organomegaly. Philadelphia chromosome was detected in 9.5% of cases. Fifty seven (52.3%) patients stra tified into high risk group. Conclusions: Patients from our locality have some distinct disease characters from that were reported elsewhere.