Discovery of B cell antigen on blast cells of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

The presence of a common antigen on B lymphocytes of healthy blood donors and on myeloblasts of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the blast crisis (BC) stage was established with the aid of an antimyeloblast serum by the indirect surface immunofluorescence test. In the cytotoxic test this antigen was found on the blast cells of 27 patients with CML in the BC stage and in three of 11 patients with acute lymphatic leukemia, in one of eight patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia, and in both of two patients with undifferentiated leukemia. No antigen was found on the peripheral blood cells of healthy donors by this test.