[The hydration of the blood and its components in patients with acute and chronic leukemias].

Estimation of total, free and bound water in the whole blood, plasma and red cells of 54 patients with acute and chronic leukemia showed that patients with chronic leukemia had low levels of bound water though high levels of total and free water in the whole blood and red cells. With the progress of the disease to the terminal stage these changes become more pronounced. Plasma hydration in chronic leukemia manifested with a rise in the bound and total water, in the terminal stage bound water was reduced while free and total water increased. The above changes were not dependent on the form of chronic leukemia. Hydration of blood and its components in patients with the first attack of acute leukemia and in those in terminal stage of chronic leukemia seemed similar.