Activity and intracellular localization of lysosomal acid phosphatase in lymphocytes from patients with Hodgkin's disease, plasma cell myeloma and primary polycythemia.
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Abstracto
Using the cytochemical method after Barka and Anderson, activity and localization of lysosomal acid phosphatase (AP) was determined in peripheral-blood lymphocytes from 20 healthy subjects, 10 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD), 10 patients with plasma cell myeloma (PCM), and 10 patients with primary polycythemia (PP). Total count of AP-positive lymphocytes was lowest in the patients with HD. Moreover, they showed a significant decrease of the absolute count of lymphocytes with well formed and more numerous AP-positive lysosomal granules. Analogous alterations in lymphocytes from patients with PCM and those with PP were much less significant. The authors discuss the importance of the above-mentioned observations for evaluation on a cellular basis of lowered immunity of patients with lympho-proliferative and myelo-proliferative disorders, with special regard to AP as a T-cell marker.