Non-specific cross-reacting antigen (NCA) in individual maturation stages of myelocytic cell series.

The distribution and localization of NCA and carcinoembryonic antigen CEA in cells of different types of myelogenous leukaemias (acute myelogenous leukaemia - AML; chronic granulocytic leukaemia - CGL; CGL in myeloblastic crisis - CGL-BC) was studied using the immunofluorescence test. Discontinuous density-gradient centrifugation was used to separate myeloid cells into fractions containing granulocytes in individual stages of maturation. Serum NCA and CEA levels were estimated in parallel. It was established that: (a) AML blasts without maturation (MO type) and monoblasts did not synthesize NCA; (b) individual blasts of AML with features of maturation (M1, M2 types) and some myeloblasts of CGL-BC exhibited a limited ability to express cytoplasmic NCA; (c) the number of NCA-containing cells increased in the more mature granulocyte fractions isolated on Ficoll-Hypaque density-gradients; (d) myelocytic NCA is immunologically related to NCA isolated from lung tissue and (e) CEA is undetectable in the myelocytic cell series.