Morphological and cytochemical changes of peripheral blood lymphocyte lysosomes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Morphological changes of lysosomes (according to Blum) and the activity of acid phosphatase (by the method of Barka and Andersen) were investigated in peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia non-treated or treated with Leukeran. The division into groups was carried out according to Rai. Pathological lymphocytes in relation to lymphocytes of healthy subjects showed a decreased number of lysosomes and an increased number of cells with diffuse type of reaction to acid phosphatase. A relation was found between the intensity of morphological changes of lysosomes in pathological lymphocytes and the clinical state of the patients. Morphological evaluation of lysosomes in lymphocytes is a good diagnostic criterion of treatment effectiveness providing prognostic cues.