Lysozyme in the serum, urine and peripheral blood leukocytes in patients with immunocytoma.

Lysozyme activity was determined in the serum, urine and leukocytes of 53 patients with immunocytoma and 24 patients with lymphoproliferative syndromes without associated monoclonal gammapathy. In patients with multiple myeloma the frequency of low serum lysozyme activity and high leukocyte lysozyme activity was higher. In the cases with renal failure, lysozyme activity was raised in serum and urine, and the 24-hour urinary lysozyme excretion was increased. In 7 patients with increased urinary lysozyme excretion no clinical or laboratory evidence of renal complications was found. Relative monocytosis in peripheral blood was observed in half of the cases of multiple myeloma, and in these patients also in about half of the cases the lysozyme activity was raised in the leukocytes and urine, and the 24-hour urinary lysozyme excretion was increased. In patients with Hodgkin's disease, lymphosarcoma and chronic lymphatic leukemia the frequency of low serum lysozyme activity was increased.

Lymphocyte response in in vitro cultures to some mitogens, and serum immunoglobulin levels in aged subjects.

Capacity of lympocytes for blastic transformation in in vitro cultures under the influence of PHA and PWM was studied in 40 subjects aged 20--60 years and in 43 aged 60--100 years. In the higher age group, in about 25% of cases, low percentages of blasts in cultures stimulated with PHA and PWM were observed. In 101 subjects aged 65--100 years, the mean level of IgA in serum was significantly higher compared with the 20--40-year age group. In some cases, levels of two or three immunoglobulin classes were raised. The unexplained changes in the reaction of lymphocytes to PHA and PWM and in levels of serum IgG were attributed to the old age of the subjects.

[Lysosomes of blast cells in various cytochemical types of acute leukemia]. / Obraz lizosomow komórek macierzystych w róznych typach cytochemicznych ostrych bialaczek

In 25 cases cytochemical types of acute leukemia were determined using the classification of Loeffler. Three cytochemical methods used were: p.a.S.-glycogen content, pox-peroxidase activity, and esterase activity determinatione. At the same time selective identification of lysosomes in perypheral blood blast cells was done using vital euchrisine staining and fluorescence microscopy. A correlation was observed between the cytochemical types of acute leukaemia and the lysosomal pattern. The fluorescence method of the identification of lysosomes is suggested for diagnosis of acute leukaemia.

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in children.

Forty-four children with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) are described: 31 had acute, subacute or chronic disease with warm autoantibodies and 13 had acute or chronic anaemia with cold autoantibodies. The commonest forms were the acute and subacute types with warm autoantibodies and these were more frequent in young children, while chronic AIHA occurred mainly among children at puberty. In about 16% the anaemia was accompanied by a chronic disorder but in over 50% the anaemia was preceded by an acute infection or immunization. The former gave rise mainly to chronic anaemia, but the latter was associated with the acute and subacute forms. In general the prognosis was good and death was never caused by anaemia per se. The prognosis was worse in patientw with clinical features of thrombocytopenia and bleeding and with the immunological findings of free autoantibodies in the serum and a positive direct antiglobulin test. In acute and subacute forms, treatment with corticosteroids and sometimes with blood transfusions was effective. In chronic forms of the disease it was often necessary to give additional immunosuppressive drugs or/and to perform a splenectomy.

[Neoplastic variant of acute erythroblastotis--proerythroblastoma]. / Nowotwór (?) wychodz, acy z wczesnych prekursorów erytronu--proerythroblastoma

In two case of aorthochromatic anaemia refractory to treatment with granulocytopenia and thrombocytopenia without significant enlargement of abdominal viscera a hypothesis of uncontrolled proliferation involving proerythroblasts is put forward on the basis of bone marrow findings. This proliferation seems to be confined to a single focus-bone marrow, without evidence of peripheral dissemination. Profound dysplastic changes of proerythroblasts are suggestive of neoplastic growth.

[Spontaneous nitroblue terazolium reduction test (NBT) by peripheral blood granulocytes in healthy subjects and in some hematologic syndromes]. / Test spontanicznej redukcji blekitu nitrotetrazolowego (NBT) przez granulocyty krwi obwodowej u osob zdrowych i w niektórych zespolach hematologicznych

The NBT reduction test and determination of alkaline phosphatase activity in the peripheral blood granulocytes (FAG) were done in 94 subjects including 30 blood donors donating blood for the first time and 64 cases of various haematological syndromes. Raised proportion of formazan granulocytes was found in patients with pancytopenia, acute myeloid leukaemia, chronic myeloid leukaemia during blastic exacerbation, Hodgkin's disease during exacerbation and lymphosarcoma. These results correlated with increased FAG activity. Lower proportions of formazan granulocytes capable of spontaneous reduction of NBT were found in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia, in immunohaemolytic anaemias and in plasmocytoma. Of all the above syndromes only in chronic myeloid leukaemia impaired ability of formazan cell formation parallelled decreased FAG activity. In the remaining syndromes FAG activity in the granulocytes was normal or raised. In the remissions of Hodgkin's disease a fall was observed in the proportion of formazan granulocytes to values of FAG. In chronic myeloid leukaemia the proportion of formazan cells showed considerable fluctuations and no correlation was observed between the proportion of formazan cells and FAG activity.

[4-year-observation of results of VM 26 treatment of pathologic syndromes from the lymphoma malignum group]. / Czteroletnie obserwacje dotyczace wyników leczenia preparatem VM 26 zespolów chorobowych z grupy "lymphoma malignum

The authors used the preparation VM 26 in 66 patients with various pathological syndromes belonging to the group of malignant lymphoma. The patients were divided into three groups. Group A received only VM 26, group B VM 26 and ultracorten, group C VM 26, cyclophosphamide, methylhydrazine and glycocorticosteroids. In all observed groups a therapeutic activity of VM 26 was demonstrated. The best therapeutic results were obtained in group C, in group B they were slightly worse.

Differences in the composition of leucoyctes in the splenic artery and vein in rabbits, and dogs.

Differences in the composition of leucocytes in the splenic artery and vein in rabbits, and dogs. Acta Physiol. Pol. 1975, 26 (1): 33-39. Blood samples were taken from the splenic artery and splenic vein of 14 rabbits and 9 dogs under general anaesthesia (with hexobarbital sodium in rabbits and Eunarcon in dogs) to compare the quantitative and qualitative composition of white blood cells. It was found that the rabbit spleen releases into the circulation mononuclear cells which do not differ in their size from cells of the blood flowing into the spleen, and that it can retain or release granulocytes, probably due to their intravascular margination. The dog spleen can retain or release granulocytes and mononuclears simultaneously or separately, probably due to the mechanism which includes spontaneous contraction of the spleen.