FLOW-CYTOMETRY OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID O F LYMPHOCYTES IN CHRONIC LYMPHOLEUCOSIS

A study of 140 patients with B-cell chronic lympoheucosis using flow c ytometry of DNA of lymphocytes evidences an interrelation between the severity of the clinical course of the disease and state of lymphocyte DNA. The authors propose to distinguish 2 variants of chronic lymphol eucosis: accumulative and proliferative. In the former DNA-ploidity an d kinetics of tumour lymphocytes did riot differ from that in the heal thy; in the latter-progression of the disease depended on S-phase lymp hocyte contact. Progression of the severity of chronic lympholeucosis is accompaneed by marked increase of polyploid cell in the S-phase tha t may be a criterion for early diagnosis of malignant transformation o f chronic lympholeucosis.