Studies on the subcellular organelles of neutrophils in chronic granulocytic leukaemia with special reference to alkaline phosphatase.

The organelle pathology of neutrophils in chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL) was investigated by analytical subcellular fractionation. There were minor reductions in activity of some granule enzymes with an abnormal distribution in sucrose density gradients of the specific granules. There was a marked reduction of 5'-nucleotidase activity but this is probably related to the relative reduction of the mononuclear cell contamination of the neutrophils isolated from leukaemic patients compared with controls. Another plasma membrane enzyme, NADH-nitroblue tetrazolium reductase, which has a microbicidal role, had increased activity. Neutrophils from patients with CGL had 13% the alkaline phosphatase activity of controls and were compared with neutrophils from women in the third trimester of pregnancy when the activity was increased to 8 times the control level. The latent activity, per cent inhibition by Levamisole, kinetic constants and subcellular distribution of alkaline phosphatase were similar in the three groups. It is suggested that the properties and intracellular localization of alkaline phosphatase are normal in CGL and that there is a quantitative lack of enzyme.