MICRORHEOLOGY OF MARROW PROMYELOCYTIC CEL LS FORM PATIENTS SUFFERING OF ACUTE MYELOID TYPE-3 LEUKEMIA

Viscosity values of marrow cells from patients suffering from acute pr omyelocytic leukemia (acute myeloid leukemia of type 3) have been dete rmined before and during a treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (act ive metabolite of the vitamin A, inducing cell differentiation and mat uration). Evaluated from aspiration tests into a glass micropipette, t he marrow cell viscosity has been compared to that of normal neutrophi ls. Results seem to point out that the induced hyperleucocytosis is fa voured by both a low standard deviation of pathological cell viscosity and a cell viscosity value close to that of normal neutrophils. The s ystematic study of cell viscosity could therefore help the clinicians to individualize the treatment.