Cell-surface adhesiveness of mouse leukemias.

Cell-surface adhesiveness of forty-one primary mouse leukemias was quantitatively examined by the Latex (polystyrene) particle adherence (LPA) assay. Mean surface adhesiveness of leukemic cell populations was found to be substantially lower than that of normal mouse thymus, lymph node and spleen cell populations. No significant differences were found among mean LPA-positivity of sixteen thymic lymphomas, sixteen reticulum cell sarcomas and six myelogenous leukemias examined; the LPA-positivity of two nonthymic lymphomas and one undifferentiated leukemia was higher and comparable with that of normal mouse thymus cells. Comparison of the LPA-positivity of normal thymus cells and thymic lymphomas indicated that the malignant conversion of thymus cells was either accompanied or followed by a decreased cell-surface adhesiveness.