Immunological Classification of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Seven hundred and forty-four newly diagnosed patients with acute leukemias between 1978 and 1990 were classified on the basis of immunological phenotypes. The majority of the patients were enrolled in the Tokyo Children's Cancer Study Group (TCCSG) studies. The incidence of subclassification of acute leukemias in this study was as follows: 522 patients with ALL (70%), 139 patients with ANLL (18%), 29 patients with biphenotypic leukemia, 8 patients with Ph1-positive acute leukemia (Ph^-AL), and 45 patients with infant leukemia. ALLs were classified into common ALL (cALL, 77%), T-ALL (15%), B-ALL (4%), and unclassified ALL (3%). The incidence of ALL subtypes in this study reflected those of TCCSG. Biphenotypic leukemias were categorized into 4 groups as follows; 1) cALL with positive myelomonocytic antigen(s) (N = 11), 2) unclassified ALL with positive myelomonocytic antigen(s) (N = 5), 3) ANLL with positive B-lymphoid antigen(s) (N = 4), and 4) acute leukemia with positive T-lymphoid and myeloid antigen(s). Infant leukemias were classified into ALL type (N = 27) and ANLL type (N = 18). In this present study, clinical features and immunological phenotypes of the acute leukemias with a poor prognosis, i.e. biphenotypic leukemia, Ph^-AL, and infant leukemia are analyzed and discussed.