Human malignancy-associated nucleolar antigen as a marker for tumor cells
in patients with acute leukemia
FM Davis, WN Hittelman, KB McCredie, MJ Keating, L Vellekoop and PN Rao
Tumor burden in adult patients with acute leukemia is assessed using the
percentage of blast cells in the bone marrow or blood. It is clear,
however, that not all blast cells are leukemic cells, especially during
rapid marrow regeneration. Similarly, some leukemia cell lines have been
shown to differentiate in vitro, and the same process also occurs in vivo.
Therefore, the leukemic burden may be due to more differentiated cells as
well as to blast cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate
whether the human malignancy-associated nucleolar antigen (HMNA) could be
used as a marker for leukemic cells and to examine its potential as a
diagnostic tool. The proportion of HMNA-positive cells in the bone marrow
of patients with acute leukemia was determined by indirect
immunofluorescence with antibodies to HMNA and was compared with the
differential counts routinely made in the clinic laboratory. The
percentages of HMNA-positive cells among the nucleated cells in the marrow
of 72 patients with clinical evidence of leukemia were significantly higher
(range 9%-98%, median 83%) than those observed for nonleukemic individuals
(range less than 0.05%-2.5%, median 1%) or for fractions of marrow cells
from normal volunteers enriched for normal early progenitor cells (less
than or equal to 2%). Patients with leukemia in remission had a lower
percentage of HMNA- positive cells (range 0%-83%, median 3%). The
percentage of HMNA- positive cells increased as patients approached
relapse. Although the percentage of HMNA-positive cells was related to the
percentage of blast cells in the bone marrow of the patients with leukemia,
some partially differentiated cells were also HMNA-positive in some
specimens, and some blastic cells were HMNA-negative in other specimens.
These studies indicate the potential usefulness of HMNA as a marker for
leukemic cells.
Volume 63,
Issue 3,
pp. 676-683,
03/01/1984
Copyright © 1984 by The American Society of Hematology
