1. ¹Department of Hematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
2. ²Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

Correspondence: Dr CU Niemann, Rigshospitalet, Department of Hematology, The Granulocyte Research laboratory, Building 9322, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen Ø DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark. E-mail: niemann@dadlnet.dk

Received 9 July 2007; Revised 2 September 2007; Accepted 3 September 2007; Published online 11 October 2007.

Abstract

Serglycin is the major cell-associated proteoglycan of hematopoietic cells. Previous work has demonstrated that serglycin may be involved in targeting some proteins to granules of cytotoxic lymphocytes, mast cells and neutrophils. We characterized the expression of serglycin in various hematologic malignancies by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Serglycin expression was found to distinguish acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In contrast to myeloperoxidase, serglycin was found to be a selective marker for immature myeloid cells, distinguishing AML from Philadelphia chromosome-negative chronic myeloproliferative disorders.