Surface immunoglobulins of leukaemic cells

Abstract

We have examined leukaemia cells from twenty-eight patients for the presence of surface immunoglobulins by a migration-inhibition technique. Immunoglobulins were identified on the cells of fourteen out of nineteen patients with chronic lymphatic leukaemia but were not present on cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia or acute leukaemia. The results obtained with the migration technique were confirmed by identification of immunoglobulins in eluates and lysates of the leukaemia cells. Serial elution and lysis studies indicated that in some cases the immunoglobulins were produced by the leukaemia cells at a low but steady rate, possibly indicating a relationship between those cells and `B' cells. In other cases the immunoglobulins were readily removed from the cells and were present only in the initial eluates from the cells, suggesting that they had been adsorbed and might possibly be specific antibody. The immunoglobulin negative chronic lymphatic leukaemia cells may be related to `T' cells, a possibility supported by a high level of phytohaemagglutinin induced transformation in one case examined by this technique.