EXPRESSION OF COMMON ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA ANTIGEN (CALLA) BY LYMPHOMAS OF B-CELL AND T-CELL LINEAGE

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 58  (3) , 648-652
Abstract
The common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA) is expressed by leukemic cells from approximately 80% of patients with non-T-cell ALL and 30-50% of patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia in blast crisis. A small number of normal bone marrow and fetal liver cells also express CALLA but the functional role of this molecule is unknown. A monoclonal antibody (J5) specific for CALLA was used to study the expression of this antigen in non-Hodgkin''s lymphomas. Within the B-cell lymphomas CALLA was expressed by almost all Burkitt''s and nodular poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas. Within the T-cell lymphomas CALLA was expressed in 40% of patients with lymphoblastic lymphoma. Three of 3 Burkitt''s lymphoma cell lines and 3 of 8 T-lymphoblast cell lines expressed CALLA. Normal spleen, lymph node and thymus cells were not reactive with J5 antibody. Expression of CALLA apparently is not limited to relatively undifferentiated leukemic lymphoblasts but occurs in more differentiated lymphoid malignancies. However, normal differentiated lymphoid cells which have a phenotype similar to that of lymphoma cells in lymph node, spleen and thymus do not appear to express CALLA.