Cell Proliferation in Leukemia during Relapse and Remission

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Abstract
Serial studies of the DNA synthesis index in vitro in peripheral blast cells revealed in 16 patients with leukemia stable values only for the individual cases. In the group of 3 chronic myelogenous forms valus were higher (4.0 to 17.5%) than in 10 acute myelogenous and stem cell leukemias (0.4 to 10.0%). Lowest values were recorded in 3 monomyeloblastic types (0.5 to 3.5%). A consistent pattern in the change of individual level of the DNA index was recognized only when transition from relapse to remission or vice versa occurred: the DNA index decreased prior to an acute phase and increased in the early remission phase. Acute relapsing leukemia is not primarily related to an accelerated cell proliferation. The increasing DNA index prior to remission may be indicative that removal of factors inhibiting the maturation process of immature cells may be more important to induce clinical remission than inhibition of cell proliferation itself.