Monoclonal antibody 2E12 was prepared by immunization of mice with fresh cells of chronic myeloid leukemia cell line MOLM-7. A panel of 15 leukemic cell lines (myeloid, promyelocytic, erythroid, B and T lymphoid) and numerous cultured patient's leukemia and myeloma cells were tested for reactivity with 2E12 antibody. A subset of cells in all cell lines and various number of patient's cells cultivated for 10 days or more were 2E12 positive. KG-1 and HL-60 cell lines were treated by camptothecin (CAM) (5 microg/ml, 4 h), washed and further cultivated without CAM. After 24 and 48 h in culture a considerable increase of 2E12 positivity was detected both in KG-1 and HL-60 cells, which well correlated with the increase of APO2.7 positivity and the sub-G1 peaks. The 2E12 positive cells were morphologically the same as cells in PCD, possibly apoptosis. We suggest that the 2E12 antibody detects a strong antigen on apoptotic cells which could be a part of the signaling process for ingestion by phagocytes.