Molecular evidence for a common leukaemic progenitor in acute mixed lymphoid and myeloid leukaemia

De novo acute leukaemia presenting with a mixed lymphoid and myeloid leukaemic population has rarely been described. We have used the consensus Ig heavy chain primers and DNA isolated from these two distinct populations of cells in polymerase chain reactions. We demonstrated that both populations of cells exhibited Ig heavy chain gene rearrangements. Cloning and subsequent DNA sequencing of the amplified products showed a common V-D-J junctional nucleotide sequence. This work therefore provides the first evidence that the leukaemic cells in de novo acute leukaemia with a mixed lymphoid and myeloid population are derived from a common progenitor clone and may offer an explanation for the poor prognosis in these patients.