[Mitotic index in the bone marrow of children during the clinical course of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)].

From 31 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia the mitosis index in the bone-marrow was determined before the onset of therapy and during the clinical progress. Initially, the mean white mitosis index lay with 3.4% below that of the normal test persons, it rose significantly in the hematologic full remission and showed a decreasing tendency with a great range of dispersion in the recidive. The most lowered mitosis index was found in the final stage. Strong shifts in the kariologic distributions make a remaining in the prophase of the mitosis evident. The influence of polychemotherapy on the mitosis index and the phases of mitosis is discussed. Correlations between the mitosis index and clinical as well as paraclinical parameters were only to be found with respect to granulocytes and lymphoblasts. The considerable ranges of fluctuations of the mitosis index and the lack of congruity with the clinical progress of ALL allow no ensured assertions to be made for the single patient. It seems to be important in eosinophilia and in leukaemoid reactions.