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Human Leukaemia Associated Antigen (LAA):
Author(s) -
Berg K.,
Noer G.,
Stavem P.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0036-553X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1977.tb01502.x
Subject(s) - antigen , ferritin , immunology , antiserum , antibody , population , globulin , medicine , fetus , biology , pathology , pregnancy , environmental health , genetics
Serum leukaemia‐associated antigen (LAA) is identified as an oncofetal antigen (or antigens) since it is present in fetal liver and in amniotic fluid. Although it is mainly found in patients with proliferative haematological disorders, particularly acute leukaemias and chronic myelogenous leukaemia, LAA is occasionally present in sera from healthy people. In protein fractionation experiments, LAA behaves as a distinct population of molecules and has the characteristics of an α 2 ‐β‐globulin, not carrying any lipids. The origin of LAA in haematological disorders is unknown. Its presence does not correlate with high white blood cell count, although antibody to LAA has been raised in animals injected with blast cells from leukaemia patients. LAA is distinct from α‐fetoprotein, and we have observed a reaction of immunolog‐ical non‐identity between LAA and ferritin. This is of considerable interest since ferritin has been reported to be immunologically closely related to α 2 H‐globulin which may occur in the same categories of patients as LAA. It is preliminary concluded that LAA as defined by our antisera may be different from α 2 H‐globulin and ferritin.