Serum selenium levels in untreated children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I.

Serum selenium in the control group of 79 children aging 1 to 16 years was measured. A slight increase in serum selenium values with age occurred. The 89 patients of the test group were suffering from malignant proliferative diseases.

Defect of NK activity in children with untreated acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). I. Dependence on the blast count and phenotype, and response to exogenous and endogenous alpha-interferon.

Endogenous NK-activity (eNK) against K-562 cells was determined in peripheral blood of 68 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) before treatment. In 53% of them it was depressed, and in 47% it was within the range of control children (27) and adults (104). There was a significant negative correlation between blast contamination of peripheral blood and the level of eNK-activity.

Expression of haematopoietic progenitor cell-associated antigen BI-3C5/CD34 in leukemia.

The expression of progenitor cell-associated antigen CD34, defined with monoclonal antibody BI-3C5, was investigated in cells from 109 patients with leukaemia. No reactivity was found in chronic leukaemias, whereas 31% of acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) and most non-T, non-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) expressed CD34. Examples of BI-3C5+ AML included M1 and M2 FAB types only; all but one were myeloperoxidase positive.

Premature chromosome condensation in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (L1) and malignant histiocytosis.

In this study we report the observation of premature chromosome condensation (PCC) in two children with acute lymphocytic leukemia L1 and one child with malignant histiocytosis. Cytogenetic analysis was performed on peripheral blood or bone marrow cells cultivated for 24 hours without mitogen. In all three reported cases the modal karyotype was normal, while 12.

Defects of natural killer cell activity in children with untreated acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Natural killer (NK) activity against cells of the K-562 line was significantly depressed in 12 of 18 children (66%) with untreated acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). No suppression of allogeneic NK activity was observed with sera of the patients, regardless of the level of NK depression. The ability of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) to suppress allogeneic NK activity was tested in two ALL patients - one with no detectable NK activity, and one with high NK activity.

Subsets of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in Croatia.

As a contribution to epidemiological studies on distribution of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) subsets in different countries, we investigated blast cell immunophenotype in 54 children with ALL from the western part of Yugoslavia. The subtype incidences were: common, 75.9%; null, 7.

Cytogenetic analysis of a child with malignant histiocytosis.

This report presents the results of cytogenetic analysis of a child with malignant histiocytosis. The analysis was carried out on slides obtained following short-term cultures of peripheral blood cells. The malignant cells had a deletion of the long arm of chromosome #7, 46,XX,del(7)(q22).

Heterochromatic segment length of Y chromosome in 55 boys with malignant diseases.

By investigating heterochromatic segment variability in a group of boys with malignant disease a significantly greater value of the Yc:F index in relation to the control subjects was established.

Marker chromosome 1q+ in acute lymphocytic leukemia.

This paper presents the results of a cytogenetic analysis on a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) type L2 according to the FAB classification. Of the metaphases examined, 69.3% belong to the aberrant clone of pseudodiploid karyotype.

Variability of chromosomes 1, 9, and 16 in children with malignant diseases.

Heterochromatic segments of chromosomes #1, #9, and #16 were analyzed in 38 children with malignant disease and 42 healthy persons. The analysis was carried out on C-banded metaphases obtained by peripheral blood culture. Using a quantitative method of analysis, an association was established between C-segment length of chromosome #9 and malignant disease in children.

[Pelger-Huet anomaly].

A homozygot carrier of a congenital nuclear anomaly of blood cells/Pelger-Huet's anomaly: abnormal segmentation of granulocytic leukocytes) is described. The morphologic analysis of blood samples in 4 family members showed similar Pelger-Huet's anomalies. The phagocytic activity, the "killing test" and the inhibition test of leucocyte migration of the patients neutrophils were in normal ranges.

[Congenital hemolytic anemia].

The cases of 91 patients with congenital hemolytic anemia (H.a.) are reported.

[Treatment of bone marrow aplasia in phase I of acute lymphatic leukemia treatment in children].

In the first phase of treatment of acute lymphatic leukemia in children (ALL) with aggresive cytostatic protocols, the doctor is, in some patients, forced to modify the antitumor therapy over a certain period of time because of bone marrow depression. The authors attempted to pull patients with ALL through this critical phase of the disease - by administering "profilactically" Lithium Carbonate (Li2CO3) ( in order to stimulate granulopoiesis) or, if anaemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia had already occurred, by administering concentrates of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets - without discontinuing the administration of cytostatics. The results of these attempts are reported.