Overexpression of IGF-IR in Malignant Clonal Cells in Bone Marrow of Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Objective: To explore the expression level of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-IR) in malignant clone cells of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Method: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunochemistry (alkaline phosphatase antialkaline phosphatase) were used together to detect the expression of IGF-IR in the bone marrow cells of 26 MDS patients with known abnormal karyotypes. Result: The average IGF-IR expression level on the surface of clone cells from the 26 MDS cases was markedly elevated compared with the corresponding level in normal cells (78.2 +/- 13.7% vs. 14.1 +/- 14.0%, p < .0001). The percentages of malignant clone cells in all 26 MDS cases were significantly correlated with the respective percentages of IGF-IR-positive nucleated cells (r = 0.909; p < .0001). No significant difference in the IGF-IR expression level on the clone cells were observed either between high-and low-risk MDS patients or among MDS patients with different abnormal karyotypes. Conclusion: IGF-IR might be taken as a marker of clone cells in MDS.