title: Immunophenotypic features of childhood and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): experience of the German Multicentre Trials ALL-BFM and GMALL.
abstract: Immunophenotyping prospectively performed in about 2800 children and adults within the framework of the German multicentre ALL trials revealed marked differences in frequency distribution of immunologic subgroups with a higher incidence of immature B-cell precursor and pre-T/T phenotypic features in adults. Detailed immunophenotypic characterization by applying monoclonal antibodies to lymphoid- and myeloid-associated antigens as well as non-lineage-restricted molecules underlined the diagnostic value of pan-B and pan-T antigens that were expressed in virtually all cases of B-cell precursor (CD19, CD24) or T-cell ALL (cytoplasmic CD3, CD7) for lineage affiliation of leukemic blasts. About 10% of children and 20% of adults disclosed simultaneous expression of lymphoid markers and at least one myeloid-lineage-associated antigen. Our data confirm that immunophenotyping in ALL provides a solid basis for a biologically oriented and reliable classification of this heterogeneous disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology and Applied Molecular Biology, Robert Rössle Clinic, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Löffler
authors.lastname: Gökbuget
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoelzer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riehm
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD