Leukaemia antigens: mixed leucocyte culture tests on twelve leukaemic patients with identical twins

Abstract

Peripheral blood leucocytes from twelve leukaemic patients and their normal genetically identical twins were studied in one-way mixed leucocyte culture tests. In no case did normal twin cells stimulate the patient cells, nor did cells from nine patients with leukaemia (one acute lymphoblastic, four acute myeloblastic, two chronic myelogenous leukaemia in blast crisis and two lymphosarcoma-leukaemia) stimulate their normal twin cells. However, peripheral blood leucocytes from two patients with acute lymphoblastic and one with acute myeloblastic leukaemia significantly stimulated the lymphocytes of their normal twins. Cells from two of the latter three patients stimulated unrelated lymphocytes more than did cells from the corresponding normal twins. The results suggest the existence of new or modified antigens on leukaemia cells recognizable by cells from normal individuals who never had detectable leukaemia.