[Lysine metabolism in acute leukemia].

The metabolism of 14C-lysine by leukaemic cells in acute myeloblastic, myelomonocytic, lymphoblastic and chronic myeloid leukaemia with blast crisis was studied. The investigations included lysine metabolism to CO2, lipids, organic acids and nucleotides and its incorporation into cellular proteins. The obtained results were compared with determinations carried out in granulocytes and lymphocytes of healthy subjects. Cells in acute leukaemias metabolized 14C-lysine in a similar range. In relation to normal cells the range of lysine metabolism to lipids in the leukaemic cells was significantly higher (p less than 0.01), while that of organic acids was significantly lower (p less than 0.05). The activity of 14C-lysine metabolism depended on the number of blast cells in the sample and the type of acute leukaemia. Neoplastic cells in blast crisis and in acute myeloblastic leukaemia incorporated more actively 14C-lysine into proteins than cells in acute myelomonocytic and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (p less than 0.05). Similar differences in lysine metabolism were observed between myelomonocytes and blast cells from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (p less than 0.05).