Expression of the Leu-8 antigen by B-cell lymphomas.

The Leu-8 antigen is found on the surface of many hematologic cells, including many T- and B-lymphocytes. With the use of a frozen-section immunoperoxidase technic, 152 B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were examined for Leu-8 expression. Of these lymphomas, 53% expressed Leu-8. Subclassification of the lymphomas with the use of the International Working Formulation showed that most small lymphocytic, intermediate lymphocytic, and diffuse large cell lymphomas and about half of diffuse small cleaved, diffuse mixed, and follicular lymphomas expressed Leu-8. In contrast, all 17 cases of small noncleaved cell (Burkitt's) lymphoma and 9 of 10 cases of multiple myeloma/plasmacytoma were Leu-8 negative. These results indicate that Leu-8 is expressed on a wide variety of B-cell lymphomas and that differences in Leu-8 expression may be useful in the diagnostic separation of small lymphocytic lymphoma with plasmacytoid features from multiple myeloma/plasmacytoma, and diffuse large cell lymphoma from Burkitt's lymphoma.