METABOLIC-ACTIVITY OF PHAGOCYTOSING GRANULOCYTES IN CHRONIC GRANULOCYTIC LEUKEMIA - ULTRASTRUCTURAL OBSERVATION OF A DEGRANULATION DEFECT

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 50  (1) , 93-106
Abstract
The functional capacities of granulocytes in patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia are still a subject of controversy, probably due to the heterogeneity of the abnormalities observed from patient to patient. For a better definition of these abnormalities, 14 patients with untreated chronic granulocytic leukemia were studied. The patients were divided into 3 groups on the basis of the functional activities of their phagocytosing granulocytes. In 4 patients (group I), the granulocytes were normal in respect to particle ingestion, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT)-stimulated reduction, cyanide insensitive O2 consumption, superoxide anion .**GRAPHIC**. -stimulated production, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and iodination. They also had a normal myeloperoxidase (MPO) content. In 4 patients (group III), the granulocytes were significantly defective in all of these activities. In the 6 remaining patients (group II), all initial metabolic steps of the phagocytosing granulocytes (ingestion, NBT reduction, O2 consumption, .**GRAPHIC**. production, H2O2 production) were normal, as were the MPO content of the granulocytes, while iodination was strikingly decreased. These metabolic features suggested a degranulation defect which was observed ultrastructurally in the only patient studied among these 6. The phagocytosing granulocytes of this patient did not degranulate and no deposits of MPO activity were seen in the phagosomes.