Stimulation and Reactivity of Leukaemic Cells in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Abstract

¹⁴C-thymidine incorporation and cytotoxicity to a target cell were used to assess response of peripheral blood leucocytes from patients during the course of acute myeloid leukaemia. Studies were made after mixed culture with allogeneic lymphocytes and stimulation by mitogens. The leukaemic cells were found to respond to both types of stimulus but, just prior to relapse, a fall in reactivity following mixed culture was observed whereas response to mitogens at this time was usually enhanced. The leukaemic leucocytes were found to provoke both marked cytotoxicity and significantly increased ¹⁴C-thyιmidine uptake in normal lymphocytes after mixed culture. The degree of reactivity provoked altered during the course of the disease.