Procoagulant cellular activity and disseminated intravascular coagulation in acute non‐lymphoid leukaemia

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Abstract
The procoagulant cellular activity (PCA) of intact and lysed leukemic cells was evaluated at diagnosis in 23 patients with acute non-lymphoid leukemia (ANLL). The leukemic cells of all 13 patients having DIC [disseminated intravascular coagulation] feature (excess of fibrin monomers, serum FDP [fibrinogen degradation product] and plasm fibrino-peptide A) showed a significant (P < 0.001) increase of PCA, while a pattern similar to that of normal granulocytes and lymphomonocytes was observed in the remaining 10 patients without evidence of DIC. When the patients were subdivided according to the FAB [French-American-British] cytological classification, features of DIC and increased PCA were demonstrated in 3/3 M3 patients, 5/6 M5 patients and only in 5/14 remaining patients. In ANLL patients the increased PCA of leukemic cells is closely related to the occurrence of DIC; the increased PCA seems related to the differentiation line and maturation level of the leukemic cells.