Four Cases of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with Myeloid Antigen Expression at Relapse

Abstract

Surface markers on leukemic cells such as E-rosette formation, surface immunoglobulin, or common ALL antigen (CALLA) have been thought to be one of the prognostic factors of acute lympho-blastic leukemia (ALL) in children. Four patients presented here were considered as ALL morpho-logically and cytochemically, but in all cases myeloid antigen MY7 (CD 13) or MY9 (CD33) were detected on the surface of the blast at first or second relapse. All patients were males and mean age of the onset was 11-years-3-months old, mean white blood cell count was 19, 500/μl, and mean duration of first remission was 23.5 months. Myeloid antigen was identified in four of eight cases of ALL which relapsed during the time from Jun. 1986 to Dec. 1987 in our hospital. It should thus be determined whether the expression of myeloid antigens on the ALL blast is one of the poor prognostic factors or not.