Characterization of non-human primate antisera to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): evidence for unique antigen(s) on childhood ALL of "T" phenotype.

A non-human primate antiserum was prepared to acute lymphoblastic leukemia of T-cell phenotype (T-ALL) and, after absorptions with normal blood elements, reacted by immunofluorescence and microcytotoxicity to all the T-ALL tested. In addition, the antiserum reacted with cells from about 70% of the common ALL studied and immunoprecipitated the common ALL antigen of 100,000 daltons. However, when the anti-T-ALL serum was absorbed with with lymphoblasts from common ALL, it failed to react with common ALL lymphoblasts, yet reacted significantly with cells from patients with T-ALL phenotype and defined a 100,000-dalton membrane component not found on common ALL lymphoblasts. In addition, sequential immunoprecipitation of 125I-labeled T-ALL membranes by anti-common-ALL serum followed by anti-T-ALL serum detected the T-ALL membrane component of 100,000 daltons that was not found on common ALL. Thus, our results demonstrate the presence of of a unique human T-ALL antigen present on all T-ALL distinct from the common ALL antigen.