Recognition by human and rabbit sera of common antigens to leukemia blast cells, peripheral blood B-lymphocytes, and monocytes.

A human serum (obtained from a multiparous and multiple-transfused patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia) and a rabbit antiserum (obtained by immunization with papain extracts from a B-lymphoblastoid cell line) showed reactivity against antigenic specificities (different from HLA) expressed on peripheral blood B-lymphocytes, unmarked lymphocytes, and monocytes. These antigenic determinants were expressed on myeloblasts and lymphoblasts from patients with acute leukemia (during the active phase of their disease) and on B-lymphoblastoid cell lines and lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Purified peripheral blood T-lymphocytes, mitogen (phytohemagglutinin)-activated T-lymphocytes, and lymphoblasts (with T-cell characteristics) obtained from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or established lymphoblastoid cell lines lacked these antigenic specificities. Absorption experiments indicate that the antigen(s) detected on normal mononuclear cell populations, leukemia cells, and B-lymphoblastoid cell lines were either identical or highly cross-reactive.