[Biochemical heterogeneity of lymphocytes in chronic lympholeukemia based on the analysis of the protein-synthesizing apparatus].

Duration of middle polypeptide synthesis, the rate of protein synthesis, content of ribosomes in lymphocytes were studied in the cells from 9 healthy persons and 28 patients with lympholeukosis. In 14 of the patients examined the content of ribosomes was decreased 2-fold; in the other patients it approached the control values. The rate protein synthesis was distinctly decreased in the patients with low content of ribosomes; in patients with normal content of the ribosomes this rate was either increased or decreased. Acceleration of the middle peptide synthesis was detected in leukemic lymphocytes as compared with controls. The data obtained suggest that lymphocytes exhibited biochemical heterogeneity in chronic lympholeukosis as well as that not only the content of ribosomes but other factors, importance of which in regulation of protein synthesis is discussed, influenced the rate of protein synthesis in lymphocytes of the patients.