Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of the B-cell type refractory to intensive chemotherapy.

Four patients, aged 15-50, with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) shown to be of the B-cell type, since they formed rosettes with complement-coated sheep erythrocytes (EAC) and had lymphocytes bearing IgA on the cell surface. Clinically, they had massive leukaemic infiltration associated with hepatosplenomegaly and were extremely resistant to multiple, conventional chemotherapy, as demonstrated by prolonged therapy to achieve a remission or a short-term remission. The surface characteristics of the lymphoblasts in the circulating blood seemed to remain unchanged throughout the course of the leukaemia, despite intensive chemotherapy. The evaluation of surface markers on leukaemic cells might give better information for a forecast of the prognosis of the disease.