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Enzymes of purine metabolism in B‐chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Author(s) -
Vertongen F.,
Cauchie C.,
Courtois P.,
Fondu P.,
Mandelbaum I. M.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.2830170108
Subject(s) - chronic lymphocytic leukemia , purine metabolism , enzyme , purine , leukemia , metabolism , medicine , chemistry , biochemistry , cancer research
In order to study if enzymes of purine metabolism could be used as cell markers in B‐chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B‐CLL), the activities of adenosine deaminase (ADA), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), and 5′‐nucleotidase (5′N) were repeatedly measured in blood mononuclear cells from B‐CLL patients and were compared to those obtained in normal controls. Enzyme activities in patients were also compared to other biological parameters indicative of B‐CLL to activities of ADA and PNP in erythrocytes. Results show that B‐leukemic cells display abnormal enzyme patterns: subnormal ADA activity is characteristic; 5′N activity is depressed in 60% of the cases but increased in 15%. An inverse relationship between PNP activity and corresponding lymphocytosis is observed in leukemic but not in normal cells. The enzymatic anomalies seem to be linked to the presence of an unusual peripheral lymphocytic population, induced by the leukemic process. Indeed, ADA and PNP are not abnormal in erythrocytes. In untreated nonevolutive patients, the enzyme profile tends to remain stable throughout the course of the illness; normalization of enzyme patterns in treated patients occurs only when therapy induces improvement in T and B cell distribution.