HL60细胞株是来自FAB分型中M2型（急性粒细胞白血病部分分化型）患者，而不是M3型（急性早幼粒细胞白血病）患者。这一结论的得出来自对该患者骨髓细胞的光学和超微结构的形态学分析。该患者骨髓涂片的分析显示原始粒细胞占37%，早幼粒细胞占44%，中幼粒细胞以及更成熟阶段细胞占8%。HL60细胞株缺少急性早幼粒细胞白血病的一些区分特征：过氧化物酶染色强度没有通常的FAB-M3型细胞强；没有裂片形式的颗粒或Auer小体；内质网不是非常扩大的。细胞遗传学检测显示在HL60细胞株中没有发现15号或17号染色体结构的异常。HL60细胞株所代表的白血病类型是急性粒细胞白血病部分分化型而并非急性早幼粒细胞白血病

相关文献：HL-60 cell line was derived from a patient with FAB-M2 and not FAB-M3. Blood. 1988 Jan;71(1):242-7

abstract:The leukemia from which the human cell line HL-60 was derived was classified in 1976 as acute progranulocytic leukemia (APL), although it was recognized to show a number of atypical features. In the ensuing 10 years, the concept of APL and its integral association with t(15;17) has evolved, and the concept of APL as a morphologically recognizable entity has become embodied in the term French-American-British classification M3 (FAB-M3). It is now recognized that not every case of leukemia with a high proportion of progranulocytes can be classified as FAB-M3. We reviewed the light and ultrastructural morphology of the original diagnostic material from this case, and we report that the leukemia from which HL-60 was derived does not conform to the currently recognized entity of FAB-M3 and is more appropriately classified as an acute myeloblastic leukemia with maturation, FAB-M2.