We generated a monoclonal antibody, termed SN2, which defines a human T cell leukemia-associated cell surface glycoprotein, GP37, with an approximate m.w. of 37,000. This antibody was generated by using a human leukemia antigen preparation. The reactivity and specificity of SN2 were characterized by a sensitive radioimmunoassay against a variety of cultured and uncultured human cells. In selected cases, the cell specimens were tested further by indirect immunofluorescence staining. Among the various cultured malignant and nonmalignant human cell lines tested, SN2 reacted only with leukemic T cell lines, with one exception. It reacted with 10 of 11 leukemic T cell lines tested; the 10 reactive cell lines are PEER, JM, MOLT-4, CCRF-CEM, CCRF-H-SB2, RPMI 8402, DND-41, HPB-ALL, SKW-3, and HPB-MLT; the unreactive line was HUT 78. The reactive cell lines were derived from patients either with T cell-type acute lymphoblastic leukemia (the first eight cell lines), with T cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (SKW-3), or with Japanese adult T cell leukemia-lymphoma (HPB-MLT). The unreactive cell line, HUT 78, was from a patient with Sezary syndrome. Results consistent with the above were obtained from studies in which uncultured malignant cell specimens from different cancer patients were tested against SN2; SN2 reacted only with T leukemia cells. Among various uncultured normal cell specimens tested, SN2 did not react with thymocytes, bone marrow cells, peripheral blood lymphocytes containing B and T cells, purified T cells, monocytes, granulocytes, or erythrocytes. It did, however, react with platelets.