Binucleated blast-cells in lymphocyte cultures from myelomatosis.

Binucleated blast cells were observed in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated lymphocyte cultures of seventeen out of twenty-six cases of myelomatosis, in contrast to six out of sixteen normal cultures. The proportion of these cells was also higher in myelomatosis; the difference was statistically significant (< 0.02).

Lymphocyte transformation in immunoproliferative disorders.

Lymphocyte transformation with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was studied in 30 patients with immunoproliferative disorders (lymphoproliferative and plasma cell disorders).Lymphocyte transformation at 3 days was reduced in the lymphoproliferative disorders (chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), well-differentiated (lymphocytic) follicular lymphoma (FLL) and Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia (WM)), and normal in the plasma cell disorders (myelomatosis, primary systemic amyloidosis, α-chain disease and benign monoclonal gammopathy) and in idiopathic cold haemagglutinin disease. A case of plasma-cell leukaemia with increased numbers of abnormal cells in the circulation also showed reduced transformation.

Surface structure of normal and leukaemic lymphocytes. I. Effect of mitogens.

Scanning electron microscopy has been used to examine the surface structure of normal and leukaemic lymphocytes and the effect of specific and non-specific mitogens on them. Both types of mitogens produce an increase in the surface irregularity of the normal cell but not of the leukaemic cell. The uropod is seen to consist of a fork-like structure the prongs of which are joined together by a fine membrane.

Thromboembolic complications in myelomatosis.

Fourteen cases of myelomatosis associated with major thromboembolic complications are reported. Six patients died of pulmonary embolism, seven had deep-vein thrombosis as a presenting symptom, and three had evidence of amyloidosis. A preliminary estimate of the incidence of thromboembolism based on 376 patients admitted so far to the Medical Research Council's myelomatosis trial is about 3%, while pulmonary embolism accounted for about 3% of all deaths.