Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in childhood: cell proliferation without rest.
The percentage of non-cycling blast cells in children with untreated acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) was investigated by staining smears for statin, a nuclear protein specifically present in non-growing resting cells. Results were compared with purified normal CD34-positive progenitors. A low fraction of ALL and CD34-positive cells expressed statin (2.9 +/- 3.8% and 2.8 +/- 3.1%, respectively), the growth fraction assessed by staining for the nucleolar antigen p120 was 94% in both ALL and CD34-positive cell samples. From this analysis it can be concluded that the compartment of non-replicating cells in ALL as well as in normal CD34-positive precursor cells collected from peripheral blood is very small and that most cells are cycling.
Hirt
A
A
Department of Paediatrics, University of Berne, Switzerland.
Antic
V
V
Wang
E
E
Lüthy
A R
AR
Leibundgut
K
K
von der Weid
N
N
Tobler
A
A
Wagner
H P
HP
D002455:Cell Division; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D015452:Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology*