ATP-ase activity of lymphocytes from patients with carcinomas of the urinary bladder.

In 13 out of 26 patients with urinary bladder carcinomas in various stages of malignancy, the ATP-ase activity of circulating lymphocytes was found significantly elevated. A decline in the ATP-ase activity was demonstrated in 14 of 17 patients re-investigated after treatment, while the activity remained unchanged in 2 and rose in 1 patient. No correlation between the clinical tumour stage and the lymphocyte ATP-ase activity was found, but the activity was closely correlated to the histological grade of malignancy. In 11 of the 17 patients the clinical effect of the treatment was closely correlated to a decline in ATP-ase activity. Determination of lymphocyte ATP-ase activity is suggested as an additional and simple help in the diagnosis of bladder carcinoma and in the follow-up control after treatment of patients with this disease.