Cytochemical comparison of immunologically characterized human leukaemia/lymphoma cell lines representing different levels of maturation.

Forty-seven human leukaemia/lymphoma cell lines belonging to myelocytic, monocytic, non-T/non-B, T-, and B-lineage and representing different levels of maturation as well as fresh cells from normal and leukaemic subjects were examined for immunological markers and cytochemically for acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (pH 5.8 and 8.0), alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase (pH 5.8 and 8.0), non-specific esterase, chloroacetate esterase, chymotrypsin-like protease, deoxyribonuclease II, beta-glucuronidase, sudan black, and periodic acid Schiff's staining. Strong sudan black, nonspecific esterase, and chloroacetate esterase reaction was obtained only for myelocytic and monocytic cell lines with the reaction intensity increasing progressively in more mature cells. Focal acid phosphatase reaction like T-ALL was found in all T-ALL cell lines, whereas myeloid/monocytoid lines had semicircular distribution and B-cell lines cytoplasmic distribution of activity. Acid phosphatase activity appeared to decline with maturation along both myeloid and T-cell lineage. High activity of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase and alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase both at pH 5.8 and 8.0 and of beta-glucuronidase was found in myeloid/monocytoid lines although both B- and T-cell lines in contrast to peripheral blood B-cells also had significant esterase activity. alpha-Naphthyl butyrate esterase activity declined with increasing cell maturation along myeloid lineage. Except for weak activity in two B-cell lines alkaline phosphatase was not detected in any cell lines. Monocyte esterase activity was inhibited by sodium fluoride whereas acid phosphatase, only from hairy cell leukaemia line, was resistant to L-tartarate. Although periodic acid Schiff's staining could not distinguish myeloid, T-, B-, or non-T/non-B cell lines it gave characteristic reaction (large number of coarse granules against a clear background forming a ring around the nucleus) with erythroblastic leukaemia cell line and along myeloid series its intensity increased in more mature cells. Deoxyribonuclease II and chymotrypsin-like protease staining were not discriminatory. The results of this study show that cytochemical staining characteristics of various leukaemia/lymphoma cell lines are comparable to those of corresponding cells from patients and that the intensity and pattern of expression of these activities are related to cell type and degree of cell maturation. These studies give further credence to the use of these cell lines in cell differentiation, differential drug cytotoxicity, and many other studies.