TDT - A diagnostic marker in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Objective: to differentiate acute lymphoblastic leukemia from acute myeloid leukemia and to isolate tdt positive blasts in csf. selection of subjects a total number of 35 subjects were included in this study. they were divided into three groups. they were selected from the services hospital,lahore general hospital and sheikh zayed hospital. 35 subjects were divided into three groups:- group a included 25 patients of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. group b 05 patients of acute myeloid leukemia and group c 05 normal control subjects. results: patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (group a) had tdt positive blasts in peripheral blood smear while acute myeloid leukaemia (group b) had no tdt+ve blasts in peripheral smear. out of 25 patients of all,06 (24%) patients of all had tdt positive blasts in cerebrospinal fluid staining. all patients (group a) are sudan black b and myeloperoxidase negative while aml patients (group b) are sudan black b and myeloproxidase positive.