LEUKEMIA-ASSOCIATED ANTIGENS IN ALL

Abstract

A cytotoxic common ALL [acute lymphoblastic leukemia] antiserum (CALLA) specific for leukemic cells of most patients with non-T[thymus-derived]-cell ALL and of some patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in blast crisis was reproducibly prepared using cell lines for absorption. CALLA reacted with leukemic cells of 110 of 134 patients (82%) with non-T-cell ALL, 1 of 71 (1%) paients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 2 of 7 patients (29%) with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis, 7 of 92 patients (8%) with other hematologic malignancies and with the leukemic cell lines Laz 221 and NALM-1. It did not react with the normal hematopoietic cells, B[bone marrow-derived]- T-cell lines or cells from 26 patients with T-cell ALL. CALLA reactivity and periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining correlated poorly, with CALLA reacting with cells from 86% (64 of 74) of patients with PAS-positive and 76% (29 of 38) of those with PAS-negative non-T-cell ALL. In these patients, CALLA reacted with cells from 89% of those under age 12 yr (78 of 88), 74% of those aged 12-20 (20 of 27) and 58% of those over 20 (11 of 19). Using only CALLA and antisera specific for Ia-like and T-cell antigens, most cases of ALL can be distinguished from AML and other hematologic malignancies.