EXPRESSION OF THE FAS/APO-1/CD95 ANTIGEN MEDIATING APOPTOSIS IN HUMAN LEUKEMIC CELLS

The Fas/APO-1 antigen is not detected on peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia in the chronic phase, but is expressed on blast cells in 50% of patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia in blast crisis. The expression of Fas/APO-1 correlates with that of leukocytic CD34 antigen. In patients with lymphomas, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or acute myeloblastic leukemia some tumor cells carry Fas/APO-1 antigen.