SHIFTS IN EXPRESSION OF CELL-MEMBRANE PHENOTYPES IN CHILDHOOD LYMPHOID MALIGNANCIES AT RELAPSE

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 54  (1) , 64-71
Abstract
To determine if cell membrane phenotypes change under the selective pressures of therapy 54 children with lymphoid malignancies of T[thymus-derived]-like, B[bone marrow-derived]-like, common and null cell types were studied. Membrane phenotypes were determined at diagnosis in all patients and again 1-24 mo. later in 18 children who failed induction therapy or had one or more relapses. In 7 patients the cells tested were from relapse sites different than those of the original diagnoses. At relapse most children with lymphoid neoplasias possibly had the same cell membrane phenotype as established at diagnosis, and the site of relapse apparently did not affect the expression of cell surface markers. There were 3 exceptions as follows: a child initially diagnosed as having null cell acute lymphocytic leukemia had 90% T-antigen-positive blasts in her 2nd-relapse bone marrow; only membrane Ig[immunoglobulin]M was present on relapse blasts from a B cell lymphoma that had membrane IgM and IgD before initiation of treatment; and at diagnosis, bone marrow blasts from a child with T-like leukemia expressed T antigen and E [erythrocyte] receptors, but at relapse, bone marrow and pleural fluid cells expressed only T antigens. These phenotype shifts possibly may be due to selective effects of therapy on cells at different stages of differentiation.