Cultured human leukemic non-T/non-B lymphoblasts and their stimulating capacity in "one-way" mixed lymphocyte reaction: suggestive evidence for early T-cell or B-cell precursors.
It is now well recognized that a large proportion of cases with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are classified as non-T/non-B neoplastic disease. The origin of leukemic non-T/non-B cells is at present not known. It has been shown that fresh or cultured leukemic T lymphoblasts exert no stimulating capacity while leukemic B lymphoblasts exert a strong stimulation in "one-way" mixed lymphocyte reaction. It has also been shown that fresh leukemic cells from some patients with non-T/non-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia possess a strong stimulation while leukemic cells from other patients with this disease possess no stimulation on allogeneic lymphocytes. The present study shows that cultured leukemic lymphoblasts from 3 non-T/non-B cell lines (NALL-1, NALM-6 and NALM-16) consistently exert a strong stimulation on allogeneic lymphocytes. On the other hand, cultured leukemic lymphoblasts from 2 non-T/non-B cell lines (REH and KM-3) consistently fail to stimulate in "one-way" mixed lymphocyte reaction. Our data clearly support the speculation that leukemic non-T/non-B cells which possess the stimulating capacity may represent less differentiated leukemic B lymphoid cells (pre-B cells) and leukemic non-T/non-B cells which possess no stimulating capacity may represent less differentiated leukemic T lymphoid cells (per-T cells).
D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007519:Isoantigens; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology*; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007519:Isoantigens