Table 1 Clinical and biological characteristics of acute leukemia patients.

Number/age/gender

   Number

39

8

   Age; median (variation range)

61 (29–84)

41 (22–79)

   Male/female

21/18

6/2

Secondary leukemia

   Previous chemotherapy

5/39

   Primary MDS

5/39

   Chronic myeloid leukemia

1/39

Morphological classification (FAB classification)

M0 1/39

L1 5/8

M1 7/39

L2 3/8

M2 11/39

M3 2/39

M4 9/39

M5 9/39

Membrane molecule analysis

Membrane molecule expression ¹:

Membrane molecule phenotype: T-ALL 2/8

CD13 31/39

ALL-B lymphocyte type 6/8

CD 14 5/39

Subclassification ¹

CD15 14/39

- Pro-B 2

CD33 37/39

- Pre-pre-B 2

CD34 17/39 (stem cell marker)

- B-ALL 2

Genetic abnormalities

Number of patients examined

36

Coclusive cytogenetic analysis 3/8 Molecular analysis of bcr-abl translocation, 3 additional patients

Cytogenetic analysis ²

Normal 15/36

Normal karyotype 0

Intermediate 13/36

Multiple abnormalities 1

Favourable 3/36

Single, high-risk abnormalities: t(4;11)1

Unfavourable 5/36

Philadelphia chromosom/bcr-abl translocation 1

Flt3 abnormalities

No Flt3 abnormality 17/36

Flt3-ITD 16/36

Asp835 mutation 3/36

Response to chemotherapy

Patients receiving chemotherapy 23/39

Patients receiving chemotherapy 6/8

Complete remission after first induction 9/23

Death due to primary resistance or leukemia relapse within 6 months 4/6