A comparison of some leucocyte differentiation markers and the adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase values in B and T cell leukemias and lymphomas.

Peripheral blood, bone marrow and/or lymph nodes of 77 patients with T- and B-ALLs/lymphomas were characterized for their surface membrane marker profiles using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Purine metabolism enzyme activities were compared with membrane immunophenotypes. T and B-ALLs/lymphomas subtypes were defined by the expression of surface membrane antigens detected by the monoclonal antibodies. Based on immunophenotyping we found the following characteristic marker profiles: in T-ALL-CD7, CD2, CD1, CD5, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD38, CD71; in T-NHL-CD7,CD2,CD3,CD4,CD5,CD6; in pre-B ALL-CD10, CD19, CD24, HLA-DR, CD34, in B-ALL-CD19, CD20, CD24, HLA-DR, SmIg with kappa or lamda light chains; in B-ALL-weak SmIg, kappa or lambda, CD19, CD20, CD24, CD5, HLA-DR; in B-NHL-CD19, CD20, CD22, CD24, CD5, more intensive SmIg, kappa or lambda. The cells of leukemic cases tended to have more immature phenotypes than those of lymphoma cases. Analysis of purine metabolism enzyme activities showed that there was a correlation between the values of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and purine nucleoside (PNP) and various types of T- and B-ALLs/lymphomas. ADA levels in B-NHL and B-CLL were lower than those in normal cells, while ADA level in T-ALL, T-NHL, pre-B-ALL and B-ALL was higher (the average 185,92,73,63 pkat. 10(-6)cells, respectively). ADA activity was significantly different between lymphocytes of control group and T-ALL(p<0.01), between T-ALL and T-NHL(p<0.05), between T-NHL and B-NHL(p<0.05) and between T-ALL and B-NHL(p<0.05). PNP activities were lower to those in normal cells. ADA/PNP ratio increased mostly in T-ALL, less in T-NHL, pre-B-ALL and B-ALL (10.8 and 5.3 and 2.2, and 2.0 respectively). ADA/PNP ratio was significantly different between T-ALL and pre-B-ALL(p<0.05) and between T-ALL and B-NHL(p<0.05).