Lineage heterogeneity in acute leukemia with the t(4;11) abnormality: implications for acute mixed lineage leukemia.

Acute leukemia associated with the t(4;11)(q21;q23) abnormality demonstrates marked lineage heterogeneity, including cases with features of acute mixed lineage leukemia. We report 7 patients with acute leukemia with the t(4;11) abnormality in which we have defined the range of lineage commitment associated with this disease utilizing a variety of cell characterization techniques. Each case could be classified either as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (5 cases) or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) (2 cases) based on standard light microscopic criteria supplemented by ultrastructural determination of myeloperoxidase. Evidence for acute mixed lineage leukemia was found in one of the AML patients in which coexpression of CD14 and CD19 surface antigens was demonstrated. Overall, the findings further confirm the lineage heterogeneity previously reported in association with t(4;11) acute leukemia. The implications of the findings as to the pathogenesis of t(4;11) acute leukemia are discussed.