Leu-M1 antigen expression in acute leukaemias

J Pathol. 1987 Nov;153(3):225-32. doi: 10.1002/path.1711530306.

Abstract

Leu-M1 is a differentiation antigen present in human myelomonocytic cells. Seventy-seven acute leukaemias were retrospectively stained with anti-Leu-M1 using the immunoperoxidase technique on Bouin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections. The subjects were 44 acute lymphoblastic leukaemias (ALL) and 33 acute myeloid leukaemias (AML) previously characterized by cytochemical and immunologic (cell suspension) methods. Leu-M1 was positive in all the AML and in half of the ALL cases. These results suggest that Leu-M1 does not allow differentiation between AML and ALL. For the ALL cases Leu-M1 was positive in 15/28 B-cell types, 4/12 T-cell type and 3/4 'null'-cell type cases. Thus, this antibody is of no assistance in defining types B, T, or 'null' in ALL. Leu-M1 was also studied on paraffin sections of 34 high grade malignant lymphomas. The antibody was negative in all 13 B-cell lymphomas (lymphoblastic: 6; immunoblastic: 7) and in all 4 'null' cell lymphomas. It was positive in 4/9 peripheral T-cell type, the other T-cell lymphomas (lymphoblastic: 5; immunoblastic: 3) remaining negative. Thus, Leu-M1 may be positive in T-cell lymphomas but it is negative in B-cell lymphomas and is always negative in B or T lymphoblastic types. It seems that lymphoblasts are Leu-M1 negative in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and may be Leu-M1 positive in leukaemias.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • Bone Marrow / immunology
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / immunology*
  • Leukemia, Lymphoid / immunology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / immunology
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte