Cellular sensitization in chronic myeloid leukaemia patients to leukaemic blast antigens

Sixteen chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients in remission were tested with solubilized membrane antigens from CML leukaemic cells, CML blasts, AML blasts and ALL blasts for cellular immunity in vitro by lymphocyte transformation (LT) and leucocyte migration inhibition (LMI) assays. Twelve CML patients in remission were tested with allogeneic PHA-transformed normal lymphoblasts. As controls, peripheral-blood leucocytes from 9 healthy persons were tested with the same antigen preparations. It was seen that 8/16 (50%) CML patients responded to CML antigens by both LT and LMI assays, while 5/16 (31%) patients reacted to CML blasts and 44% (7/16) patients reacted to AML blast antigens. It was interesting to note that 5/11 (45%) CML patients reacted to ALL blast antigens by both assays. One out of 12 patients reacted to PHA-transformed lymphoblasts. None of the healthy controls reacted to leukaemia-associated antigens. The results suggest the sharing of antigens between myeloid leukaemic cells, myeloid blasts and lymphoid blasts.