{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T05:28:27Z","timestamp":1786426107595,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,9]],"date-time":"2026-08-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786233600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Flow-cytometric readouts in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may depend on specimen source and processing. We assessed whether sample source (peripheral blood [PB] vs. bone marrow [BM]) and cryopreservation influence immune-evasion-related markers on AML blasts. Methods: Paired PB and BM samples from 19 adults were analyzed fresh and after cryopreservation. Viable CD45dim singlets were assessed for ULBP1-6, MICA\/B, CD34, CD44, CD70, CD80, and CD184 using median fluorescence intensity (MFI) and relative fluorescence index (RFI). Paired comparisons used two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Benjamini\u2013Hochberg correction across six markers within each endpoint and comparison. Discordance was also assessed using a predefined conventional 20% reference threshold. Results: After adjustment, RFI did not differ between fresh and cryopreserved samples within PB or BM, or between fresh PB and BM. In cryopreserved samples, PB and BM differed for CD70 (q = 0.042) and ULBP1-6 (q = 0.028). Cryopreservation increased MFI for CD184 and ULBP1-6 in PB and BM and for MICA\/B in PB; no PB-BM MFI difference remained significant. Threshold-based classification was discordant for CD34, CD44, CD80, CD184, MICA\/B, and ULBP1-6 in 5.3\u201338.9% of pairs, whereas CD70 showed none. Conclusions: Cohort-level differences were limited to specific markers and conditions, while patient-level threshold discordance persisted. Sample source and cryopreservation should therefore be considered when interpreting threshold-based classifications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers18162559","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T01:20:03Z","timestamp":1786324803000},"page":"2559","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sample Source and Cryopreservation Affect Flow-Cytometric Profiling of Immune-Escape-Related Markers on AML Blasts"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-2454-4619","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sven","family":"Richter","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2516-4787","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Benedikt","family":"Leinauer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alicia","family":"Thoma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ann-Kristin","family":"Schm\u00e4lter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2776-1590","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Johanna","family":"Waidhauser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7070-487X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christoph","family":"Schmid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5636-0043","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andreas","family":"Rank","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4939-279X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Phillip","family":"L\u00f6hr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1345","DOI":"10.1182\/blood.2022016867","article-title":"Diagnosis and management of AML in adults: 2022 recommendations from an international expert panel on behalf of the ELN","volume":"140","author":"Wei","year":"2022","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ally, F., and Chen, X. 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