title: Relationship of a leukemia-associated antigen to the presence of lymphoblasts in the peripheral blood in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: Peripheral blood samples from 57 children with newly diagnosed E-rosette-negative, surface-immunoglobulin negative acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) were studied for the presence of a leukemia-associated antigen (ALLA). Ficoll-Hypaque separated cells were tested using a rabbit antiserum to human null lymphoblasts and an indirect immunofluorescent assay. The percentage of ALLA-positive cells were compared to the percentage of lymphoblasts determined by differential counts of a Wright-Giemsa-stained smear of a concurrently obtained peripheral blood sample. The mean ratio of percentage of lymphoblasts to percentage of ALLA-positive cells was 0.90. However, in 13 patients, the ratio of percent of ALLA-positive cells to percent of lymphoblasts was equal to or greater than 2:1. In the blood of 6 additional children (5 newly diagnosed, 1 relapsed patient) in whom no morphologically identifiable lymphoblasts were detected. ALLA-positive cells were present (7%-49%). These results indicate that testing for ALLA-positive cells in a sensitive technique for detection of leukemic cells in children with ALLA-positive ALL.
mesh_terms: D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D012397:Rosette Formation
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D000643:Ammonium Chloride