Different expression of CD36 antigen molecule on the surface of megakaryocyte lineage leukemias and megakaryocyte leukemia cell lines MEG-01 and HEL.

Peripheral blood leukemic cells from four patients with peroxidase negative acute leukemia, which expressed neither myeloid nor lymphoid cell surface antigens, were analyzed by using monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) capable of recognizing megakaryocyte-platelet-related antigens. Leukemic cells from one case reacted with 5F1 MoAb, whereas cells from all the tested cases reacted with OKM5 MoAb, which belongs to the same CD group as 5F1 (CD36). Also, culture cells from megakaryoblastic leukemia cell line, MEG-01, and human erythroleukemia cell line, HEL, showed a different pattern of expression for the CD36 antigen molecule detected by 5F1 and OKM5 MoAb, individually. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the epitopes recognized by 5F1 and OKM5 MoAb appear on the same CD36 molecule on the surface of HEL cells by means of the two-color analysis using FACS-IV. On the basis of our experiments, we conclude that, CD36 molecule, a receptor for TSP, is synthesized and expressed in at least two ways, inside the cells and on the surface of megakaryocyte lineage leukemias and megakaryocytic leukemia cell lines MEG-01 and HEL. This is strongly suggestive that thrombospondin (TSP)-mediated adhesion represents an alternative pathway for cytoadherence, and that CD36 expression on various kinds of cells may lack some essential modifications or components necessary for the TSP receptor activity.