A monoclonal antibody (WT1) for detecting leukemias of T-cell precursors
(T-ALL)
L Vodinelich, W Tax, Y Bai, S Pegram, P Capel and MF Greaves
The selectivity of a monoclonal anti-T antibody, designated WT1, has been
assessed in a series of 906 leukemias and lymphomas. In acute lymphoblastic
leukemias, WT1 reacts comprehensively and selectively with thymic acute
lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells in untreated or relapsed patients, thus
overriding the extensive antigenic diversity of this cancer and the
immaturity of the cell type involved. All 80 cases of thymic ALL examined
were WT1-positive. In addition, 18 cases of presumptive prethymic ALL were
also WT1-positive, but were unreactive with other maturation-linked T-cell
markers. The phenotype WT1+ HLA-DR TdT+ appears to be unique to T-ALL and
can therefore be used systematically for the differential diagnosis of this
poor prognosis subtype of ALL. Virtually all ALL cases can now be placed
into one of two major subgroups representing transformed precursors of
either the T- or B-cell lineage. WT1 identifies a single polypeptide of
approximately 40,000 mol wt and is similar to two previously described
monoclonal antibodies.
Volume 62,
Issue 5,
pp. 1108-1113,
11/01/1983
Copyright © 1983 by The American Society of Hematology
