Anatomical distribution of call antigen expressing cells in normal lymphatic tissue and in lymphomas

Anatomical distribution of common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA) was studied in lymphomas as well as in normal lymphatic organs using the monoclonal antibody VIL-A1. Twelve lymphomas were labelled by VIL-A1. Three of the 12 tumours also had T-cell marker, six lymphomas also showed immunoglobulin staining and only three tumours were pure CALLA lymphomas. Tonsils showed a distinct CALLA labelling of many germinal centre cells and of singular cells in interfollicular T-cell regions. Children's thymuses showed rare distinctly labelled cells in the cortex and medulla and slightly more cortical cells stained faintly by VIL-A1. Foetal thymuses of about the twelfth week of gestation contained many heavily labelled cells. The findings are discussed as evidence for the presence of CALLA on immature B as well as T lymphocytes. They favour the idea of CALLA as a common lymphocyte differentiation antigen although other possibilities of interpretation are also discussed.