The expression of leukocyte membrane molecules on leukemia/lymphoma cells
Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague 2, Czech Republic
AIMS: In this study we have analyzed the reactivity of monoclonal antibodies against a panel of membrane markers of different protein families with the pathological cells derived from patients with leukemia/lymphoma. The main goal was to concentrate on the significance of complex membrane molecules for the immunological classification - phenotyping of pathological cells – and on the evaluation of the functional role of these markers in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of blood malignancies. METHODS: Patients with leukemia and lymphoma were classified by clinical and cytological examination. Pathological cells from 52 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T and B), acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic myelo-monocytic leukemia) and non Hodgkin’s lymphoma (T and B types) with a high leukocyte count and percentage of malignant cells were selected for staining cell surface molecules by immunofluorescence methods. Leukemia/lymphoma cells were analyzed by flow cytometry performed on Becton Dickinson FACScan or FACS Calibur for the expression of 82 human leukocyte markers including main cell surface molecules of different protein domains. The quantitative analysis of cell surface molecules on normal and pathological cells was done by DAKO QIFIKIT test. RESULTS: The findings indicate that expression of membrane molecules on pathological cells is quantitatively and qualitatively different in individual cases. The leukemia/lymphoma cells in their crude form represent the main phenotypes of normal haematopoietic cells, which reveal the great diversity of immunophenotypes within the main functional characterization of blood malignancies. The immunophenotype heterogeneity of leukemic cells has proved to be much greater than the match with existing classification criteria, this fact could raise the necessity for further functional evaluation and specification of immunophenotyping of the leukemia/lymphoma cells. CONCLUSION: The concept of explanation of pathogenesis and pathophysiology of different types of leukemia/lymphoma cells on the basis that they are derived from normal haematopoiesis must be accepted, because the number of membrane markers and their functional properties are correspondingly convincing. Human leukocyte surface molecules are useful practically as diagnostic markers characterizing various types of normal and pathological (leukemia/lymphoma) cells, but in both types of cells the qualitative and quantitative expression of membrane markers and their combination corresponds to their functional properties.
Paper presented at the International Symposium on Predictive Oncology and Intervention Strategies; Nice, France; February 7 - 10, 2004; in poster session 1091 (Vaccine trials).