Patterns of adenosine deaminase, ecto-5?-nucleotidase, poly(A)polymerase and surface light chain expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemias

Abstract

The levels of activity of three enzymes have been measured in the circulating malignant lymphocytes of 47 patients with B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These were the purine degradative enzymes, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (5'NT) and the enzyme responsible for the polyadenylation of mRNA, poly(A) polymerase. The patterns of activity of the above enzymes and the expression of surface immunoglobulin light chains were examined. A heterogeneity in the specific activity of the enzymes was observed which could not be attributed to variations of the percentage of B lymphocytes. A positive correlation was found between ADA and poly(A)polymerase activity (r = 0.383, p less than 0.01). Furthermore, the expression of immunoglobulin light chain phenotype was inversely related to 5'NT specific activity; CLL cases in which less than 20% of the cells expressed lambda chain phenotype, presented 5'NT specific activity of 16.7 +/- 3.3 (S.E.) nmol/h/10(6) cells, whereas in CLL cases with more than 20% of the cells expressing this phenotype the enzyme specific activity was 4.8 +/- 1.6 (S.E.) nmol/h/10(6) cells (p less than 0.02). These findings suggest that the simultaneous determination of enzymatic activities and immunological markers, might be useful in defining subsets in CLL and the subsequent clinical treatment.

Προσδιορισμός της γονιδιακής επέκτασης και υπερέκφρασης των ογκογονιδίων c-myc και c-erbB-2 καθώς και των επιπέδων των ενζύμων καθεψίνης-d και πολυ(α)πολυμεράσης στον καρκίνο του μαστού.

“…Εκτεταμένες μελέτες έχουν δείξει ότι λεμφοκύπαρα τα οποία επάγονται προς πολλαπλασιασμό, παρουσιάζουν αύξηση των επιπέδων της ενεργότητας της πολυ(Α)πολυμεράσης. (107,201) Παρόμοια αποτελέσματα υπήρ ξαν και όταν λεκτίνες και φυτο-αιμογλουτίνη ήταν ο μιτογόνος παράγοντας.…”