Abstract
Cell surface markers were studied on 38 cases of childhood leukemias and lymphomas using 10 cases of adult leukemias as controls. Tumor cells were isolated by Ficoll-Conray centrifugation from the bone marrow and lymphnodes. According to the results of E rosette formation, surface immunoglobulin, cytoplasmic immunoglobulin and cytotoxic assay with various monoclonal antibodies, tumor cells of lymphoid malignancy (42 cases) were phenotyped as T (8 cases; 5 children and 3 adults), B (6 cases; 4 cildren and 2 adults) and non T non B type (28 cases; 24 children and 4 adults). Non T non B type was further subtyped as common ALL type (23 cases; 21 children and 2 adults) and null cell type (5 cases; 3 children and 2 adults).
An interesting difference in the above phenotypes between children and adults was a considerably higher incidence of the null cell type ALL in adults than in children.
Contrary to earlier belief that common ALL antigen is specific to undiffrentiated non T non B ALL, this study demonstrated the antigen in relatively differentiated T and B cell lymphomas as well as in non T non B ALL. These results give an insight on common ALL antigen as possible marker of differentiation and maturation for lymphoid tumor cells.
