RIBONUCLEOTIDE CONTENT OF MONONUCLEAR-CELLS FROM NORMAL SUBJECTS AND PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA - INCREASED NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE-DINUCLEOTIDE CONCENTRATION IN CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA LYMPHOCYTES

Abstract

The ribonucleotide content of lymphocytes obtained from normal subjects and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. The levels of normal B- and T-cells were compared to each other as well s those of their CLL counterparts. Unfractionated CLL lymphocytes, predominantly B-cells, had significantly lower levels of ATP, CTP, UTP, CDP and GTP, while the concentration of NAD was significantly higher than in normal unfractionated lymphocytes which consisted mainly of T-cells. Enriched populations of CLL B-cells had much lower ATP, CTP, GTP and UTP than normal B-cells. CLL T-enriched subpopulations had significantly lower ribonucleoside triphosphates, ATP, CTP, GTP and UTP than normal T-cells. The lower ribonucleoside triphosphate levels found in unfractionated CLL lymphocytes, therefore, are the result of differences between the CLL and normal B-cells as well as between CLL and normal T-cells. These findings establish a framework for studying the reasons underlying the decreased ribonucleoside triphosphate levels in unfractionated CLL lymphocytes. T-helper and T-suppressor lymphocytes showed similar ribonucleotide patterns. Nucleoside and base levels were significantly higher in normal monocytes than in normal lymphocytes. The only compound found to be increased in the CLL B-lymphocytes when compared to their normal counterparts was NAD. The level in CLL lymphocytes was 404 vs. 209 pmol/107 cells for normal B-lymphocytes. No correlation was found between any ribonucleotide levels and the expression of 5''-nucleotidase activity.