Cell surface characterization of malignant T cells from lymphoblastic
lymphoma using monoclonal antibodies: evidence for phenotypic differences
between malignant T cells from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
and lymphoblastic lymphoma
A Bernard, L Boumsell, EL Reinherz, LM Nadler, J Ritz, H Coppin, Y Richard, F Valensi, J Dausset, G Flandrin, J Lemerle and SF Schlossman
A series of monoclonal antibodies was used for the characterization of
malignant T cells from 21 patients with lymphoblastic lymphoma (LL). The
tumor population from these patients showed a marked degree of phenotypic
heterogeneity and a proportion (one-third) of patients had tumor cells that
did not conform exactly with the cells normally detected in the thymus.
However, these cell populations could be related to the early or common or
late thymocyte population (about one- third of the patients in each
category). This contrast, with the characterization of malignant T cells
from 43 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that could be
related to either early or common thymocytes, with an exception of two
patients categorized as having a tumor population related to late
thymocytes. Further phenotypic differences between cells from ALL and LL
could be demonstrated by investigation with two additional monoclonal
antibodies, A50 and U4. Among patients with malignant T cells related to
common thymocyte, 0/12 patients with ALL had cells recognized by A50, where
5/8 patients with LL had A50+ cells. Among patients with early thymocytes,
only patients with ALL had cells recognized by U4. In addition, 5 LL
patients had cells reactive with J5, a monoclonal antibody recognizing the
common ALL antigen (CALLA). Since CALLA was found on cells related to
common and late thymocytes, CALLA is neither lineage specific, nor can it
be viewed as being peculiar to malignant lymphoid cells arrested at very
immature stages of differentiation.
Volume 57,
Issue 6,
pp. 1105-1110,
06/01/1981
Copyright © 1981 by The American Society of Hematology
