B-LINEAGE ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA OF CHILDHOOD - AN INSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCE

A total of 119 children (1990-95) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (A LL) B-lineage either CD10+ or CD10- were registered into a single nonr andomized chemotherapy protocol. Only untreated patients with standard risk were included in the study. Their ages ranged from 1.8-10 years with a mean of 5.1 years. There were 82 (68%) children with early pre B-AII, 35 (29%) with pre B-ALL and 2 (1.6%) with transitional pre B-AL L (p < 0,00001). The patients were divided according to CD10 reactivit y, either + (94 children) or - (25 patients). The event-free survival (EFS) at 60 months for the CD10+ children was of 78% (alive 73/94), wh ile for the CD10- was 71% (alive 18/25) (p = 0.6) and 74% for both gro ups. The factors that influenced favorably the survival in the CD10+ g roup were the age between 3 to 5.99 years (p < 0.00001), sex (either m ale or female), leukocyte count between 10-24.9 x10(9)/l (p < 0.00001) , LDH under 300 U/I (p < 0.00001) and L1 bone marrow cytomorphology (p < 0.00001). In the CD10- patients, the EFS was favorably influenced b y the female sex (p = 0.04), leukocyte count under 10 x 10(9)/l (p = 0 .05) and LDH < 300 U/l (p = 0.02). CNS infiltration was documented in 4.2% (5/119). Mortality secondary to chemotherapy was seen in 7%. In c onclusion, this is the first large series in Mexican children with B-l ineage ALL published. Because of the relatively small number of patien ts in each group (pre B and transitional pre B), all the patients in t he current series were treated alike. When the 119 patients were divid ed only on the basis of CD10 reactivity, the EFS for both groups (CD10 + and -) was similar; therefore, the reactivity to CD10 has no prognos tic value in this type of ALL.