BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA - GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTORS, LYMPHOCYTE-B AND LYMPHOCYTE-T SURFACE MARKERS, CONCANAVALIN A-INDUCED AGGLUTINATION AND THYMIDINE INCORPORATION

Abstract

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has a variable clinical course, and there is a great need of new prognostic laboratory parameters in this disease. CLL patients (24) were subjected to routine hematological and clinical investigation. The leukemic cells were analyzed for surface immunoglobulins [Ig], complement and sheep red blood cell receptors, concanavalin [Con] A-induced agglutination, cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptor and for proliferative activity by measurement of tritiated thymidine incorporation. The surface markers studied indicated that all cases were of B[bone marrow-derived]-cell origin. Only 5 of 23 patients studied had normal serum Ig levels. These cases showed a nonprogressive disease. Eight patients had increased infection tendency, all of whom had subnormal IgG levels; 4 of them also had subnormal IgA and IgM and 2 had subnormal IgA levels. Five out of 6 patients with progressive disease and 3 of 11 with nonprogressive disease had an increased proliferative index, indicating a correlation between this parameter and disease progression. ConA agglutinability was not correlated to disease activity. Cells from 17 of 22 patients showed measurable amounts of glucocorticoid receptor. The 5 patients lacking this receptor had inactive disease.