Abstract
The prognostic significance of expression of myeloid‐associated antigens in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (myA + ALL) was evaluated. From 1984 to 1990, 251 children with immunologically verified ALL were treated in two prospective consecutive Austrian studies. Complete immunopheno‐typing was performed in 206 cases (82%). Out of these 175 cases were classified as B‐cell precursor ALL, 31 cases as T‐ALL. Expression of myeloid‐associated antigens was demonstrated in 23 cases (13.1%) of childhood B‐cell precursor ALL, particularly in immature (CD10 negative) forms (P < .0001), and in 1 case (3.2%) of T‐ALL. CDw65 was expressed most frequently (12 cases), followed by CD13 and CD15 (5 cases each), CD33 (4 cases), and blood‐group H (3 cases). Compared to myA‐ ALL prognosis of children with myA+ B‐cell precursor ALL was poor, despite intensive multiagent chemotherapy according to BFM protocols. Remission rates were not impaired, but pEFS was 74.6% for myA‐ ALL, and only 37.8% for myA+ ALL (P = .0001). As demonstrated by multivariate analysis the expression of myeloid‐associated antigens was the most important prognostic variable for EFS in B‐cell precursor ALL, whether or not CD10 was expressed. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.