Individual leukemic cells and the corresponding rare normal cell types in nonleukemic bone marrow were analyzed with various combinations of antisera (labeled with different fluorochromes: TRITC and FITC). Double staining for membrane Ia-like molecules (TRITC) and nuclear terminal transferase (FITC) was a very useful combination that distinguished common non-T, non-B ALL (Ia+,TdT+) and thymic ALL (Ia-,TdT+) from the rare cases of B ALL (Ia+,TdT-) and from AML (frequently Ia+, TdT-; in some cases Ia-, TdT-). Additional antisera (such as anti-ALL, anti- HuTLA, anti-immunoglobulin reagents, etc.) confirmed the diagnosis and further characterized the leukemic blasts. Ia+,TdT+ cells could be observed in low numbers in normal and nonleukemic regenerating marrow and were probably normal precursor cells; this reagent combinations was, therefore, not useful for monitoring residual non-T, non-B ALL blasts in treated patients. Other marker combinations detecting pre-B ALL blasts (double staining for cytoplasmic IgM and nuclear TdT) and Thy-ALL blasts (HuTLA+,TdT+) were, however, virtually leukemia specific in the bone marrow and could be used to effectively monitor residual leukemic cells throughout the disease. These combined single-cell assays are not only economical and informative but are also important for assessing the heterogeneity of leukemia and for standardizing new mouse or rat monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis.
he ontogeny of cells containing the enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in human fetal liver, bone marrow, and thymus has been studied using a highly specific antiserum to TdT together with monoclonal antiprecursor cell antibodies in double and triple marker immunofluorescence. TdT+ cells were first observed in fetal liver at 12 wk of gestation and accounted for 55% of the lymphoid-like cells isolated after Ficoll-Hypaque separation. TdT+ cells were first observed in the bone marrow 16 wk after gestation. Like TdT+ cells in normal infant bone marrow, the majority of TdT+ cells in fetal liver and bone marrow expressed both BA-1 and RFB-1 antigens. This suggests that fetal TdT+ cells include progenitors of the B lineage (BA-1+) and perhaps of thymocytes (RFB-1+). Nevertheless, TdT was not observed in fetal thymocytes until after 20 wk of gestation, although thymic blasts and the majority of thymocytes were strongly RFB-1+ from 12 wk of gestation. These results clearly show that fetal thymus is first populated by TdT, RFB-1+, BA-1 cells, but does not exclude the fact that a second “wave” of TdT+ prothymocytes, possibly bone marrow derived, also exists.
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