CD1c(+) myeloid dendritic cells in myeloid neoplasia

We determined the normal level and phenotype of CD1c(+) myeloid dendritic cells (MDCs) in blood and bone marrow and evaluated the level of CD1c(+) MDCs in 295 myeloid neoplasms. CD1c(+) MDCs were increased above the mean level of non-neoplastic hospital controls in 18.0% (53/295) of myeloid malignancies, increased three standard deviations above the control mean in 14.2% (42/295) with a 10-fold or more increase compared to mean in 6.8% (20/295). Increased CD1c(+) MDCs were associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) (12/24, 50%) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (31/140, 22%) with a strong association with AML with the inv(16) cytogenetic abnormality. The cells were not increased in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and rarely increased in non-CML myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Immunohistochemical staining of cases with increased CD1c(+) MDCs did not reveal clustering of the cells unlike that observed with myeloid neoplasms associated with increased plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Our findings indicate CD1c(+) MDC elevations are not uncommon in myeloid leukemias and are associated with CMML and AML, particularly AML with inv(16).