New looks in leukemia.

Immunologic markers are now available for acute leukemia. These show that most patients now diagnosed as having acute lymphatic leukemia have blast cells which react with antihuman T antisera. In addition, about 20% of patients have blast cells which form E rosettes. These patients tend to be those with high white counts and aggressive disease. Tumor-associated antigens have been identified in acute leukemia. Antisera raised in other species by immunization appear to detect some antigens common to all acute leukemias and other antigens which can distinguish the myeloid from the lymphoid leukemias. The reactivity to leukemia antigens can be related to prognosis. The immune manipulations required to produce cure, however, are not understood. These antigenic markers, by allowing us to detect smaller amounts of tumor than can be detected by morphology alone, may help us to predict relapse and define cure.