Five of nine children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia had lymphoblasts that bound sheep erythrocytes or reacted with antiserum to thymocytes, suggesting involvement of T (thymus-derived) cells. When lymphoblasts from all patients were examined by immunofluorescence they were found to lack a marker for B (bone marrow or bursa-equivalent) cells, that is, the presence of surface immunoglobulins.

Lymphoblasts from children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or malignant lymphoblastic lymphoma were studied using surface markers characteristic of T and B lymphocytes. A Bcell marker, i.e. surface immunoglobulin, was absent in all cases studied. Fourteen of 22 children (64%) had lymphoblasts with one or both markers of T lymphocytes, i.e. receptors for sheep erythrocytes (E) and/or human T-lymphocyte antigen (HTLA) detectable using heterologous antithymocyte sera abmrbed with B lymphocytes. In all instances, lymphoblasts which carried E

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T and B lymphocyte subpopulations were examined in the peripheral blood of children using the E and EAC rosette assays. Children under 18 months of age were found to have a decreased percentage of E-binding (T) lymphocytes and an increased percentage of EAC-binding (B) lymphocytes compared to older children (18 months to 10 years) and adults. The absolute number of E-binding and EAC-binding lymphocytes was increased in children under 18 months of age.

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