Study on the Membrane Hemopoietic Cytokine Receptor Expression on CD34⁺ Bone Marrow Cells of the Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes

This study was to detect if there were abnormalities of membrane hemopoietic cytokine receptor expression on CD34⁺ bone marrow cells in MDS.

34 newly diagnosed MDS(12 in low-risk and 22 in high-risk) cases and 32 normal controls were enrolled in this study. Their CD34⁺CD38⁺ and CD34⁺CD38^- bone marrow cells and the expressions of stem cell factor receptor(SCF-R),erythropoietin receptor (EpoR), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (G-CSFR) and thrombopoietin receptor (TpoR) on those cells were measured by flow cytometry.

The mean percentage of CD34⁺ BMMNCs of MDS cases in high risk[(2.94±4.79)%)] was significantly higher than that of control group[(0.95±1.06)%](P<0.05). The mean percentages of CD34⁺CD38⁺ cells were significantly lower in low risk and high risk groups[(86.98±6.83)% and (83.57±9.86)% respectively] than that in control group [(92.41±3.43)%], thus the percentage of CD34⁺CD38^- cells was significantly higher in either low-risk or high-risk group[(13.03±6.84)% and (16.42±9.85)% respectively]than that in control group[(7.59±3.43)%](P<0.05). In control group, the mean percentage of antigen expression of EpoR was significantly lower in CD34⁺CD38⁺ cells [(17.72±20.24) %] than that in CD34⁺CD38^- cells [(64.65±21.02)%](P<0.01), The expressions of SCF-R,G-CSFR and TpoR on CD34⁺CD38^- cells were not significantly different from these on CD34⁺CD38⁺ cells. The expression of EpoR on CD34⁺CD38⁺ cells of low-risk and high-risk MDS groups[(7.01±6.82)% and (7.16±9.45)% respectively] were significantly lower than that of control group[(17.72±20. 24) %] (P<0.05), The expression of G-CSFR on CD34⁺CD38⁺ cells of low-risk and high-risk MDS groups[(22.65±12.14)% and (26.50±19.65)% respectively] were significantly lower than that of control group[(45.13±23.41)%](P<0.01). The amount of EpoR on CD34⁺CD38^-cells of low-risk and high-risk MDS groups[(40.18±20.38)% and (28.58±17.00)% respectively] were significantly lower than that of control group[(64.65±21.02)%](P<0.01), The expression of TpoR on CD34⁺CD38^- cells of low-risk and high-risk MDS groups[(4.46±7.45)% and (3.23±4.55)% respectively] were significantly lower than that of control group[(15.33±14.95)%](P<0.01). The incidence of cytopenia of MDS cases with low expression rates of hemopoietic cytokine receptors on CD34⁺cells were higher than that of MDS with high expression rates of hemopoietic cytokine receptors.

There were abnormalities of differentiation and membrane hemopoietic cytokine receptors expression of CD34⁺ bone marrow cells in MDS, which were associated with MDS cytopenia and might be useful for MDS diagnosis.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.