LARGE GRANULAR LYMPHOCYTE LEUKEMIA - A HETEROGENEOUS LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA IN F344 RATS

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 111  (1) , 1-10
Abstract
Morphology, histochemistry, cell surface antigens and natural killer cells (NK) activity of 10 primary and 10 transplantable large granular lymphocye (LGL) leukemias of aging F344 rats were studied. The LGL leukemia is the major cause of death of aging F344 rats. Morphologically, the LGL leukemias were composed of cells with pleomorphic nuclei with many intracytoplasmic granules or round nuclei with few intracytoplasmic granules. The granules appeared to be lysosomes containing .beta.-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase, and ultrastructurally developed in association with vesicles in the Golgi apparatus. Splenic natural killer cell activity against YAC-1 cells varied from case to case and it appeared to be associated with LGL leukemia cells. Some transplantable leukemias had stable NK activity. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis of surface antigens revealed the LGL leukemias to be heterogeneous, and there was no correlation between cytotoxic activity and cell surface antigens. Although the morphologic features of cells in LGL leukemias resemble those of normal LGL, differences in cytotoxic activity and surface antigens suggest that LGL tumors represent a heterogeneous group of leukemias which may serve as a model for the study of origin and lineage of normal LGL and NK cells.