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Significance of Altered -2-L-Fucosyltransferase Levels in Serum of Leukemic Patients

Division of Immunochemical Genetics, MRC Clinical Research Centre, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ, United Kingdom

Serum -2-L-fucosyltransferase levels were measured in 20 patients with leukemia. Lower than normal levels were found in patients with acute leukemia and higher than normal activity was demonstrated in patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia. -2-L-Fucosyltransferase activity is expressed in platelets, and in both groups of leukemic patients this enzyme activity in serum was found to correlate directly with the platelet count. Assays on platelets from normal donors and from leukemic patients showed that the changes in level of the enzyme in serum result from changes in platelet numbers and not from alterations in the cellular expression of the transferase in leukemia. -2-L-Fucosyltransferase levels in serum are therefore not per se diagnostic markers of leukemia.

¹ Supported by Leukemia Research Fund, United Kingdom.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 12/ 1/87. Revised 3/28/88. Accepted 4/13/88.