TERMINAL DEOXYRIBONUCLEOTIDYL TRANSFERASE-ACTIVITY IN B-CELL ACUTE LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 51  (2) , 181-187
Abstract
Moderately high levels of activity of the enzyme terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TdT) were found in the leukemic cells of a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The proliferating cells were B [bone marrow derived] lymphocytes bearing Ig[immunoglobulin]G antibody, and the disease was associated with an IgG monoclonal spike and a mediastinal mass. The observations in this case suggest that TdT is related more to the immaturity and proliferation of certain lymphoid stem cells than to their progress toward B- or T[thymus derived]-cell differentiation.