[Ultrastructural organization of nucleoli and ribosome level in lymphocytes at different stages of maturation in patients with chronic B-cell lymphocytic leukemia].

To clarify the role of the ribosome apparatus in the differentiation and maturation, the nucleolar ultrastructure, ribosome level and maturation stages of lymphocytes and their phorbol ester-induced differentiation capacity were studied immunologically, cytochemically and electron-microscopically in 16 patients with B-chronic lymphoid leukemia (B-CLL) and in one with small lymphocyte lymphoma. Most B-CLL cases had the clones mainly consisting of cells at an intermediate maturation stage. The cases with immature and mature lymphocyte clones were observed more rarely. The acid phosphatase activity did not correlate with the maturation stages of the lymphoid cells. The nucleolus activity ranged from virtually zero to high one. In general, there was a relationship between the ribosome content and nucleolus activity, although there were exceptions suggesting the impaired ribosome biogenesis. There was no correlation between the ribosome content and maturation degree of B-CLL lymphocytes and their phorbol-ester-induced differentiation capacity.