CELLULAR PHENOTYPES OF NORMAL AND LEUKEMIC HEMATOPOIETIC-CELLS DETERMINED BY ANALYSIS WITH SELECTED ANTIBODY COMBINATIONS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 56  (3) , 430-441
Abstract
Individual leukemic cells and the corresponding rare normal cell types in nonleukemic bone marrow were analyzed with various combinations of antisera (labeled with different fluorochromes: TRITC [tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate] and FITC [fluorescein isothiocyanate]. Double staining for membrane Ia[immune response-associated antgen]-like moleclues (TRITC) and nuclear terminal transferase (FITC) was a very useful combination that distinguished common non-T, non-B ALL [acute lymphocytic leukemia] (Ia-, TdT+ [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-positive]) and thymic ALL (Ia-, TdT+) from the rare cases of B ALL (Ia+,TdT-) and from AML (frequently Ia+,TdT-; in some cases Ia-,TdT-). Additional antisera (such as anti-ALL, anti-HuTLA, anti-immunoglobulin reagents, etc.) confirmed the diagnosis and further characterized the leukemic blasts. Ia+,TdT+ cells could be observed in low numbers in normal and nonleukemic regenerating marrow and were probably normal precursor cells; this reagent combination was, therefore, not useful for monitoring residual non-T, non-B ALL blasts in treated patients. Other marker combinations detecting pre-B ALL blasts (double staining for cytoplasmic IgM and nuclear TdT and T-ALL blasts (HuTLA+,TdT+) were virtually leukemia specific in the bone marrow and could be used to effectively monitor residual leukemic cells throughout the disease. These combined single-cell assays are not only economical and informative but are also important for assessing the heterogeneity of leukemia and for standardizing new mouse or rat monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis.