[Zinc uptake of normal and leukaemic lymphocytes in an in vitro model (author's transl)].

Zinc uptake and/or possible exchange by isolated lymphocytes from normal persons and from patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia were studied in an in vitro model. The uptake of zinc per 10(9) lymphocytes of normal persons was 60 +/- 10 nanomoles and 120 +/- 15 nanomoles during incubation for 30 and 60 minutes, respectively. Two out of the 3 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia showed normal zinc uptake in this test system, whereas zinc uptake by lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia was significantly decreased (22+/-8 nanomoles in 30 minutes and 35+/-10 nanomoles in 60 minutes).