Microcalorimetric investigation of cell metabolism in tumour cells from patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)

Abstract
The overall metabolism in tumour cells from 36 untreated patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma was evaluated by direct calorimetry. For 20 patients with lymphoma of high grade malignancy the median value of heat production rate per tumour cell was 3.9 pW and for 16 patients with low grade lymphomas the corresponding value was 2.8 pW. The difference between the two morphclogical groups is significant (p = 0.05). The median value of heat production rate per tumour cell from 13 patients who died within 2 yr after diagnosis was 4.0 pW. The corresponding value for 17 patients who have survived for more than 2 yr was 2.5 pW. The difference between the two groups is significant (p = 0.02). A high correlation was found between heat production rates in tumour cells and survival of the patients (p = 0.006).