Lymphosarcoma cell leukemia: the contribution of cell surface study to
diagnosis
AC Aisenberg and B Wilkes
Cell surface immunoglobulin, complement receptor, and spontaneous rosette
formation with sheep erythrocytes were investigated in 43 patients with
malignant lymphoma, including 13 with lymphosarcoma cell leukemia, and in
59 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The quantity of
immunoglobulin on the lymphocyte surface was estimated from the intensity
of fluorescent staining with fluorescein-conjugated anti- immunoglobulin
antisera. At least two, and probably three, B cell species could be
recognized by cell surface study. Cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia
and diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma had sparse amounts of
surface immunoglobulin, while the cells of diffuse poorly differentiated
lymphocytic lymphoma had large quantities of this material. Nodular
lymphoma probably represented a third B-cell subtype with intermediate
amounts of surface immunoglobulin. The lymphocytes of chronic lymphosarcoma
cell leukemia exhibited the intense surface staining, which was
characteristic of the underlying poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma
(diffuse or nodular), and could be readily distinguished from the
faint-staining chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.
Volume 48,
Issue 5,
pp. 707-715,
11/01/1976
Copyright © 1976 by The American Society of Hematology
