Heterogeneity of T cell lymphoblastic leukaemias. Issue 8 (August 1991)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gómez, E; San Miguel, J F; González, M; Orfao, A; López-Berges, C; Ríos, A; López Borrasca, A
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical pathology. Volume 44:Issue 8(1991)
• Page Start: 628
• Page End: 631
• Publication Date: 1991-08
• Subjects: Pathology -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; 616.0705
• DOI: 10.1136/jcp.44.8.628
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9746

Abstract

Abstract : Twenty eight out of 170 consecutive cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) were examined. They were of T cell origin, with the following distribution: seven (28%) cases had pre-T or prothymic features; nine (36%) cases showed early thymocytic features, six (24%) had cortical features; and three (12%) had a "mature" phenotype. The remaining three cases could not be sub-classified. A striking finding was that pre-T ALL differed from intrathymic ALL not only in the absence of both E rosettes and intrathymic differentiation antigens, but also in the expression of two non-lineage specific antigens HLA-DR and CD10. Both antigens appear in the bone marrow from the very first stages of lymphoid differentiation, implying that the origin for pre-T ALL is bone marrow. A comparison of the clinical features of pre-T and thymic ALL showed that pre-T ALL disease showed a pattern more similar to non-T ALL disease: a lower incidence of mediastinal mass, absence of extrahaematopoietic disease, lower white cell counts and haemoglobin concentrations, and a higher incidence of bone pain. No obvious difference in response to treatment was apparent. The results show that T-ALL is not only a heterogeneous immunological group but also suggest that it may have different origins: bone marrow for pre-T ALL and the thymus for thymic ALL.