Patient characteristics and results
| Variable . | CML* . | MDS* . | IMF* . | Controls . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 6 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| Age (median) | 53 | 80 | 78 | 26 |
| WBC/μL (median) | 24 000 | 5810 | 8440 | ND |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL (median) | 12.8 | 8.2 | 10.1 | ND |
| Percent blood basophils (median) | 4 | 3 | 3 | ND |
| Percent basophils in MNCs (median) | 7 | 4.6 | 4 | 3.3 |
| Tryptase, pg/basophil (median) | 0.09† | 0.55 | 0.01 | 0.03† |
| Variable . | CML* . | MDS* . | IMF* . | Controls . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 6 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| Age (median) | 53 | 80 | 78 | 26 |
| WBC/μL (median) | 24 000 | 5810 | 8440 | ND |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL (median) | 12.8 | 8.2 | 10.1 | ND |
| Percent blood basophils (median) | 4 | 3 | 3 | ND |
| Percent basophils in MNCs (median) | 7 | 4.6 | 4 | 3.3 |
| Tryptase, pg/basophil (median) | 0.09† | 0.55 | 0.01 | 0.03† |
WBC indicates white blood cell; ND, not done.
A subset of patients was treated with cytoreductive drugs. In CML, 3 patients were untreated, 1 received hydroxyurea, and 2 a combination of hydroxyurea and interferon-α. Of the MDS patients, 1 received hydroxyurea, and 2 were untreated. In the IMF group, 3 patients received hydroxyurea and 1 interferon-α; the remaining patients were not treated.
As assessed by Mann-Whitney U test, the median tryptase levels in basophils were significantly higher in CML patients compared to the control group (P < .05). In the MDS group and IMF group the levels of tryptase per basophil varied greatly from donor to donor, and overall no significant deviation from the control group was found (P > .05).