Effect of Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase on viability and antigenicity of human leukemic myeloblasts.

The effect of increasing concentrations of Cl. Perfringens neuraminidase and of pH on the dye exclusion ability and lymphocyte stimulating capacity of leukemic myeloblasts was studied. The higher the neuraminidase concentration, or the lower the pH was, the more myeloblasts died and the less the myeloblasts stimulated lymphocytes. Myeloblasts treated at a neutral pH and at low enzyme concentrations retained, but did not increase their antigenicity.