Quantitative Studies of the Local Exudative Cellular Reaction in Acute Leukemia *

Abstract

Comparison of the local exudative cellular reaction in acute leukemia and non-leukemia subjects by utilizing a specially designed glass cup chamber for the collection and counting of the inflammatory exudate indicates that the reaction is delayed and quantitatively deficient in acute leukemia. Non-leukemic subjects mobilized between 1.17 and 2.83 million cells during the first 3 hrs. and >20 million cells at 24 hrs. Leukemic subjects, on the other hand, mobilized <0.5 million cells at the end of 3 hrs. and the majority of subjects tested were able tc mobilize <9 million cells at 24 hrs. These results confirm in a more quantitative fashion the observation that the local cellular response to inflammation is impaired in leukemia.