Open AccessMorphological and isoenzymatic differentiation of B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells induced by phorbolester
Author(s) -
Hans G. Drexler,
Mary Beth Klein,
Nirmala Bhoopalam,
Gerhard Gaedicke,
Jun Minowada
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
british journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.833
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1532-1827
pISSN - 0007-0920
DOI - 10.1038/bjc.1986.33
Subject(s) - acid phosphatase , isozyme , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , esterase , hexosaminidase , cytoplasm , isoelectric focusing , lactate dehydrogenase , alkaline phosphatase , basophilic , cellular differentiation , cytochemistry , biochemistry , enzyme , pathology , medicine , gene
Fresh leukaemia cells from the peripheral blood of 6 patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) were cultured in the continuous presence of the phorbolester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) for in vitro induction of differentiation. Upon treatment with TPA the cells showed distinct morphological changes consisting of cytoplasmic and nuclear enlargement, vacuolisation and protrusion of cytoplasm, eccentric location of nuclei with perinuclear clear zones, and oval to elongated cell forms. Isoenzyme profiles of the enzymes carboxylic esterase, acid phosphatase, hexosaminidase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were analysed by isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gels. An increase in the number and in the staining intensity of isoenzymes were observed for all 4 enzymes in the TPA-exposed cells indicating a maturation along the B cell pathway. TPA triggered the new expression of the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoenzyme, a marker of hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) cells, and of the hexosaminidase I isoenzyme, a marker of multiple myeloma cells. The induced phenotypic changes are suggestive of differentiation to stages corresponding to those of HCL cells or 'pre-plasma cells'.