Particle-bound DNA polymerase activity in haematological disorders and normal controls.

A DNA polymerase present in particles with a density greater than 1.20 g/cm3 and capable of using a synthetic RNA template has been sought in human malignancies. This report deals with a study of a great number of peripheral-blood samples from normal controls and patients with malignant and non-neoplastic haematological disorders. For screening purposes a simplified detection test was used. In 63 controls low levels of enzyme activity were found. The enzyme activities showed a biphasic distribution pattern. Three out of 53 patients with non-neoplastic, miscellaneous haematological disorders had an elevated enzyme level associated with active viral infections (hepatitis, mononucleosis infectiosa). In 128 patients suffering from haematological malignancies 18 out of 21 cases of elevated enzyme level were associated with the presence of more than 10% pathological cells in the white blood cell fraction.