Morphological changes in the nucleoli of peripheral-blood lymphocytes as prognostic criteria in the chemotherapy of malignant tumors.

By a simple cytochemical demonstration of RNA, the percentages of various nucleolar types, reflecting the activity of RNA synthesis in peripheral-blood lymphocytes, were established. The checkings were done in patients with advanced stages of malignant tumors processes with primary localization in the digestive tract, receiving cytostatic treatment with Cytembena Spofa and Cyclophosphamide Germed. Evidence has been brought that significant differences in the indicators investigated existed between a healthy population and patients with cancer before the start of the treatment. In the further course of the disease, during cytostatic treatment, peripheral lymphocytes underwent changes followed sooner of later by changes in the clinical state of the patients: a decrease in the percentage of activable (ring-shaped) nucleoli, and increase in the percentage of irreversibly inactivated nucleoli (micronucleoli) incapable of RNA synthesis, and an elevation of the nucleolar coefficient were followed by a deterioration of the patients' clinical state and a progression of the tumorous disease. With an opposite trend of the nucleolar-test findings (an increase in the percentage of nucleoli capable of RNA synthesis, a decrease in the percentage of nucleoli incapable of RNA synthesis, and a lowering of the nucleolar coefficient), the further development of the disease appeared to be favourable.