Beta-glucuronidase activity of lymph node imprints from malignant lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Abstract

.beta.-Glucuronidase activity was semiquantitatively estimated in the cells of lymph node (LN) imprints from patients with Hodgkin''s disease (HD), diffuse non-Hodgkin''s lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), normal lymph nodes and benign lymphadenopathies. In some of these cases .beta.-glucuronidase activity was semiquantitatively determined in peripheral blood smear lymphocytes. The .beta.-glucuronidase score (.beta.GS) was low in the cells of LN imprints from patients with diffuse non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma. The LN lymphocytes of HD had a normal .beta.GS independently of the histological subtype of the disease, while in the LN imprint of CLL enzyme activity was low, normal or high. The .beta.GS of the lymphocytes in LN imprints of normal controls and HD were significantly lower compared with the lymphocytes of the peripheral blood smears in the same cases. The relation of these findings to the B [bone marrow-derived] and T [thymus-derived] cell origin of malignant lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia is discussed.