[The clinicoimmunological characteristics of blast transformation in lymphosarcomas]

The authors studied a blast cell immunological phenotype in 50 adults with lymphosarcoma undergoing leukemization following the pattern of acute leukemia. Among the patients there were 12 females and 38 males aged 14-61. Immunological phenotyping of tumor cells was performed using a panel of monoclonal antibodies to T- and B-lymphocyte antigens, to myelomonocytic cells, some nonlinear and activation antigens. T, B and zero variants of blast cells were identified. Occasionally, blast cells carried nonlymphoid antigens and those corresponding to the common lymphosarcoma subvariant. Leukemization in the direction of lymphoblastic leukemia is associated with greater frequency of lymphosarcoma T subvariant (46%). B-cell and zero subvariants occurred in 28% and 20% of the patients, respectively. The number of complete remissions in the group of patients with T-cell subvariant was greater than in the group with B-cell subvariant. The survival in these two groups, however, was almost similar (median up to 8-12 months). Further studies into lymphoblastic leukemization immunophenotyping can help design programs of differentiated polychemotherapy.