[Immunophenotyping of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Mexican children].

Purpose: To analyse the immunophenotype of leukaemic cells in a group of children diagnosed of lymphoblastic leukaemia in order to assess the frequency of the different immunologic subtypes.

Patients and methods: In the period comprised between APR 1987 and MAR 1995, 402 Mexican children were studied in a prospective way. Conventional immunological markers were used, either associated to or specific for B, T, myelo-monocytic or megakaryocytic-platelet cell populations.

Results: Five major immunologic subtypes were disclosed, showing a series of specific surface markers: null-ALL, 5%; early pre-B, 7.5%; common, 74.6%; B-cell, 3.5%, and T-cell, 9.4%. A net predominance of B-cell precursor CD10- ALL was found in children under one year of age, and of CD10+ B-cells beyond that age. Although there was only slight predominance of male sex, the prevalence of B and TALL in males was not confirmed.

Conclusions: These results show that the incidence of the different immunologic subtypes of lymphoblastic leukaemias and their distribution according to age and sex are closely similar to those reported among Caucasians in other parts of the world.