[Comparative study of clinical features of childhood and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia]

To analyze the outcome, the immunological and cytogenetic characteristics and the frequency of primary multi-drug resistance of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in our hospital during the past two years.

The complete remission (CR) rate of 154 newly diagnosed ALL patients were analysed and the biological features of the leukemic cells were explored by immunochemistry and cytogenetics.

The CR rate in the ALL children is 94.1% which is significantly higher than that of adult ALL patients (67.8%). Immunophenotype analysis showed that 18.5% of the children expressed myeloid antigens besides lymphoid antigens and 4.8% of them were Ph chromosome positive. Both the figures were lower than that of adult patients.

Childhood ALL has distinct morphological, immunological and cytogenetic (MIC) features, which might contribute to the good prognosis of the patients.