Enzymatic abnormalities in erythroleukemia.

Enzymatic studies were performed on erythroblasts obtained from marrows of 2 patients with untreated erythroleukemia. Cytochemically, erythroblasts showed abnormalities of several enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, as well as abnormalities of specific and nonspecific esterases. Electrophoretic analysis of esterases extracted from predominatly erythroid marrows showed strong moderately fluoride-resistant nonspecific esterase activity with alpha-naphthyl acetate, and weak activity with alpha-naphthyl butyrate. Isoenzymatic patterns of specific esterase activity in erythroleukemia were indistinguishable from those found in myeloblastic leukemia. The results are consistent with the concept of the Di Guglielmo syndrome in which a preleukemic erythroid disorder may precede the emergence of acute myeloblastic or myelomonocytic leukemia.