Non-T, non-B childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Correlation between cytochemical markers and first complete remission.

Abstract

The positivity for four cytochemical reactions, acid phosphatase (AcP), alpha-naphtyl acid acetate esterase (ANAE), beta-glucuronidase (BG), and N-acetyl beta-glucosaminidase (NABG) was correlated to first remission duration in 120 children affected with non-T, non-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The percentages of patients remaining in complete remission at 72 months were always higher for children whose blasts lacked these enzymatic reactions; however, a statistical difference was found only between BG+ and BG- ALL. It also appears that more complete enzymatic patterns of leukemic cells are associated with a poorer prognosis. The percentage of patients still in their first remission was 89% for leukemias with no cytochemical markers, 59% when one reaction was present, but less than 39% when two or more enzymes were detected in the blasts. It is noteworthy that the blasts of patients with more severe prognosis demonstrated a simultaneous positivity for AcP-ANAE or BG-NABG cytochemical reactions. The possible usefulness of these cytochemical markers to detect subsets of patients with different prognostic significance among non-T, non-B ALL is discussed.

• Authors: G Basso, C Agostini, M G Cocito, A Pezzutto, R Destro, F Capuzzo, M V Gazzola, R Raimondi, L Zanesco, G Semenzato
• Journal: Cancer (Cancer) Vol. 54 Issue 6 Pg. 981-5 (Sep 15 1984) ISSN: 0008-543X [Print] United States
• PMID: 6590114 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Hydrolases
• Naphthol AS D Esterase
• Acid Phosphatase
• Glucuronidase

Topics

• Acid Phosphatase (analysis)
• Adolescent
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Female
• Glucuronidase (analysis)
• Humans
• Hydrolases (analysis)
• Infant
• Leukemia, Lymphoid (enzymology, pathology)
• Male
• Naphthol AS D Esterase (analysis)