Expression of a myeloid marker on TdT-positive acute lymphocytic leukemic cells: evidence by double-fluorescence staining.

The expression of a myeloid-specific antigen was detected on TdT-positive blast cell populations in two cases of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia. Double-fluorescence staining by using the monoclonal antibody, VIM-D5, which is specific for cells of myeloid origin, in combination with TdT antiserum revealed that a distinct portion of the blast cells carried both markers. The finding represents the first direct demonstration of this specific biphenotype in leukemic cells and was interpreted as the abnormal expression of a myeloid antigen on lymphoid blast cells.