Multiparameter flow cytometry for assessment of minimal residual disease in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes treated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Abstract

Background

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are a heterogeneous group of clonal myeloid neoplasms. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) remains the curative method for MDS treatment. Little is known about the monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with MDS after allo-SCT.

Aim

We aimed to evaluate the significance of leukemia-associated immunophenotypes (LAIPs) identified in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) for MRD monitoring in patients with MDS after allo-SCT.

Material and methods

Seven males and 4 females with a median age of 55 years were included. The diagnosis of MDS was established according to 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The significance of eight LAIPs in bone marrow samples using multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) was evaluated for MRD.

Results

Eight patients were positive for several LAIPs before allo-SCT. The identified LAIPs included the presence of aberrant lymphoid antigens on myeloblasts and lack of CD33 expression on myeloblasts. All studied MDS patients were negative for LAIPs at Day +30 after the procedure. This was followed by full-donor chimerism in all cases. The Ogata score after allo-SCT decreased in all patients in whom it was indicative for MDS before allo-SCT.

Conclusions

MFC could be useful in monitoring MRD in MDS patients after allo-SCT. Further studies in this field are needed.