Evaluating the prognostic value of CD56 in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract Background Many cytogenetic changes and gene mutations are associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survival outcomes. CD56 is related to poor prognosis when expressed in adult AML patients. However, the prognostic value of CD56 in children with AML has rarely been reported. In this research, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of CD56 in childhood AML. Methods The present retrospective study included 145 newly diagnosed pediatric patients with de novo AML (excluding AML-M3) in two hospitals between January 2015 and April 2021. Results The total median (range) age was 75 (8–176) months, and the median follow-up time was 35 months. No significant difference in the 3-year overall survival rate was noted between the CD56-positive and CD56-negative groups (67.0% vs. 79.3%, P = 0.157) who received chemotherapy. However, among high-risk patients, the CD56-positive group had a worse overall survival rate and event-free survival rate (P