An estimated 1.24 million blood cancer cases occur annually worldwide, accounting for approximately 6% of all cancer cases. Currently, there are no standardized hematology cancer screening tests that are recommended for the general population. CD24 is a mucin-like cell surface molecule and P-selectin ligand, which plays a significant role in the maturation of B-lymphocytes and was found to be overexpressed in a number of hematological malignancies. Our primary aim was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the CD24/CD11b-based blood test for the detection of hematological malignancies. Our cohort included 488 subjects with positive hematological cancer diagnosis (n = 122) and healthy subjects (n = 366). CD24/CD11b expression in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) obtained from blood samples of participants was analyzed by flow cytometry. Our results demonstrated that the average levels of CD24/CD11b in healthy patients (21.7 ± 9.0) were statistically significantly lower compared to levels of CD24/CD11b in cancer patients (29.5 ± 18.7, p < 0.001). The highest levels of CD24/CD11b were found in multiple myeloma (39.1 ± 23.6), followed by chronic myeloid leukemia (33.0 ± 13.7) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (32.3 ± 13.3). The test had an overall sensitivity for hematologic cancers of 78.5% (95% CI, 70.7-86.3%) and specificity of 80.2% (95% CI, 76.1-84.3%). In conclusion, our findings indicate the feasibility of a CD24/CD11b-based blood test as a screening test of hematological malignancies.
Keywords: CD24; biomarker; hematologic cancer; prevention; screening test; sensitivity; specificity.