The role of monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosis of acute leukaemia

Abstract

Eighty six patients with acute l.eukaemia were studied using morphol.ogical., cytochemical. and immunol.ogical. techniques. The acute l.eukaemias were subdivided using the French-American-British (FAB) cl.assification. The immunophenotyping studies were compared with the morphological classification to assess their contribution to the diagnosis. Acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia (ANLL) was diagnosed on the basis of morphol.ogy and cytochemical. criteria. In addition this group of patients was studied with antibodies directed against myel.omonocytic antigens. However, no further cl.inical.l.y useful. information was obtained. Patients whose bl.asts did not stain with Sudan black or myel.operoxidase were considered to have acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). After assessment with monocl.onal. antibodies directed against epitopes expressed on cel.l.s from the l.ymphoid lineage, these patients were subgrouped into non-T-ALL, common-ALL, B-ALL, T-ALL and l.ymphoblastic lymphoma categories. This study confirmed the val.ue of monocl.onal. antibodies for accurately assigning l.ineage to the acute l.eukaemias and particularly in those situations where conventional morphol.ogical. criteria and cytochemical. markers are inconclusive.