value of qualitative cytochemistry of blood neutrophils in acute myeloid leukemia

ABSTRACT

Qualitative cytochemistry of blood neutrophils was studied at the diagnosis in thirty-one patients and was followed up in fifteen patients. At diagnosis, neutrophil myeloperoxidase [POX], chloroacetate esterase [CAE] and alkaline phosphatase [NAP] were significantly reduced in patients with AML compared with levels in ten normal controls. In remission period, the enzyme activities increased markedly for the fifteen patients who were followed up and when five cases with bone marrow aplasia were excluded, the other ten cases [with partial and complete remission] showed statistically higher values than the pretreatment period. The blood picture parameters were greatly affected by treatment as white blood cells and blast cells decreased markedly to normal values, while platelets increased markedly. It was concluded that peripheral hemogram and neutrophil enzyme activities can predict the state of remission [partial, complete or bone marrow aplasia] instead of doing the troublesome bone marrow aspirates