HL-A Antigens and Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Twenty-four children with acute lymphocytic leukemia were compared with unmatched, unrelated normal controls for 20 HL-A specificities. No association between HL-A specificities and susceptibility to acute leukemia could be established. However, additional cytotoxic reactions were observed in the lymphocytes of three of six patients when malignant lymphoblasts were used as target cells. Since cytotoxic reactions occurred with multiple antisera detecting the same HL-A specificity, the data suggest the presence of neoantigens or the uncovering of existing antigens in leukemic lymphoblasts which cross react with the HL-A antigens normally present.