Characterization of compounds shed from the surface of human leukemic myeloblasts in vitro.

Human leukemic myeloblasts shed glycoproteins from the cell surface during short-term in vitro culture. Shed surface glycoproteins yield a characteristic profile when studied by gel chromatography, isoelectric focusing, immune precipitation, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Isolation of immunologically active material yields a compound to approximately 75,000--80,000 daltons, with an isoelectric point of 7.6 to 7.9. Various morphological subtypes of acute myelogenous leukemia shed these compounds, but they are most easily obtained from the more differentiated M2 and M4 types as compared to the undifferentiated M1 type. The shed compounds appear to be quantitatively and qualitatively different from compounds shed by other leukemic cells or nonleukemic cells.