UNBOUND AMINO ACID CONCENTRATIONS IN PLASMA, ERYTHROCYTES, LEUKOCYTES AND URINE OF PATIENTS WITH LEUKEMIA*

Abstract

In various leukemias, the concentrations of many amino acids in the several blood fluid compartments differ significantly from the normal. The patterns observed, particularly in the leukocytes, depend on the type of leukemia and upon its treatment. In untreated leukemias, glutamic acid was very high in both erythrocytes and leukocytes and O-phosphoethanolamine was very high in leukocytes. Ornithine, proline, ethanolamine and urea were elevated in the plasma and erythrocytes, but ornithine was depressed in the leukocytes. Serine plus glycine was elevated in erythrocytes but not in plasma. At certain intervals after treatment with chlorambucil the levels of glutamic acid and O-phosphoethanolamine became depressed whereas those of some of the other amino acids became elevated. Twenty-four and 48 hours after X-irradiation of large parts of the body, the leukocyte amino acid concentrations and urinary amino acid excretions were nearly all very high, whereas few changes occurred in the plasma and erythrocytes.