Multiple lineage reactivity in childhood leukemia.
The leukemia cells from 63 children with acute leukemia were evaluated by flow cytometry with a panel of monoclonal antibodies that included lymphoid and myeloid lineage-specific antigens. Surface markers from patients with acute lyphocytic leukemia (ALL) did not correlate with their FAB classification except for L3 leukemia. Myeloid leukemias of FAB class M1-M4 were positive for CD13 and CD33, whereas CD14 and MY8 were only detected in FAB class M4 leukemia. Mixed leukemias were subclassified as intralineage (B+T+) or interlineage (B+ or T+/M+). Interlineage leukemias represented 5.6% of ALLs, and all patients are alive after treatment with ALL protocols. Interlineage mixed leukemias represent 7.9% of all leukemias occurring in 3.7% of ALLs and 33% of acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs). All children with mixed interlineage leukemias are alive after treatment with the protocol for the dominant leukemia; however, follow-up periods are too short to predict final outcome. The high proportion of mixed interlineage leukemias in AMLs supports Greaves' theory of lineage promiscuity, that is, there is a normal period of hematopoietic development when individual cells co-express multiple lineage antigens on the cell surface.
Penchansky
L
L
Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213.
Kaplan
S S
SS
Krause
J R
JR
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / Q000032:analysis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006046:Gold; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007834:Lasers; D007938:Leukemia / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype
D015703:Antigens, CD; D006046:Gold; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase