Binding of lectins to human leukaemic cells.

The interactions of five different lectins: peanut (PNA), lentil (LEN), wheat germ (WGA), soybean (SBA), Asparagus pea (FBP) with leukaemic cells obtained from 31 children: 25 with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and 6 with acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) were examined in this study. The relationship of lectin-binding ability to cells cytomorphological, cytochemical and immunological features and its potential clinical application were investigated. It has been shown that PNA and LEN receptors were found in the majority of blast cells. The SBA reacting cells were found only in few patients and FBP binding was not found in studied ALL and AML cells. There was a clear difference in the WGA binding capacity in ALL cells with L1 and L2 characteristics respectively. No differences were found in PNA. WGA and LEN reactivity between PAS negative and PAS positive leukaemic cells. Only PNA of all studied lectins seemed to differentiate T- from B-ALL blast cells. Only WGA binding of ALL cells showed the positive correlation to the risk index value.