Membrane immunoglobulin in acute lymphocytic leukaemia cells

Lymphocytes collected from peripheral blood of 26 patients affected by acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) were tested for membrane immunoglobulin. It appeared that the percentages of Ig bearing cells are quite low either at the onset of the disease, or in relapse: in average 7.9 and 3.3%, respectively. In contrast, in remission the figure was 22.9%, i.e., at normal values. The quite low percentage of Ig bearing cells in ALL was also confirmed by the study carried out on 2 identical twins, one healthy and the second affected by ALL: the figures were indeed 32.5% and 3.2%, respectively. All the patients studied at the onset of the disease received the same vincristine prednisone induction therapy. Followup study showed that patients at the onset of ALL could be divided in 2 groups: a major one with very low percentage of Ig bearing cells, and a minor one with percentage of Ig bearing cells decreased more moderately, or even normal. The vincristine prednisone therapy induced a complete remission in all the patients with very low percentage of Ig bearing cells, but failed to induce complete remission in the patients with either normal, or only moderately decreased percentage of Ig bearing cells.