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The Metabolic and Phagocytic Activities of Leukocytes from Children with Acute Leukemia¹

Department of Pathology and Medical Research, St. Margaret's Hospital and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02125

Peripheral blood leukocytes of children with acute leukemia in relapse or remission and nonleukemic hospitalized controls were studied for phagocytic and bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli. Also certain enzymes of the hexose monophosphate shunt of the leukocytes were investigated. It was found that leukocytes from children in relapse had the lowest bactericidal activity; those from children in remission had higher activity than cells from children in relapse but significantly less activity than those from controls. Leukocytes from controls had the highest bactericidal activity. Phagocytosis was lowest in leukocytes from children in relapse. The cells obtained from children in remission and controls had similar phagocytic ability. The enzymes assayed were glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase. These assays were done spectrophotometrically on whole cells suspended in glycerin. There were no differences in activity between leukocytes from control subjects and those from children in remission. Cells obtained from children in relapse had lower activity for all three enzymes when compared to the other two groups. The decreased bactericidal activity coupled with normal phagocytic and enzymatic activity of the leukocytes from the subjects in remission is inexplicable at this time.

¹ This investigation was supported by USPHS Grants CA 05307 from the National Cancer Institute and HE 1805 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Grant NYO 3240-36. This is Paper 21 in a series entitled "The Role of the Phagocyte in Host-Parasite Interactions."

Received 4/11/69. Accepted 6/23/69.