Decreased 5'-nucleotidase activity in a T lymphocyte subpopulation from
patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia
R Silber and M Conklyn
The activity of the ectoenzyme 5'-nucleotidase (5'N) was determined in the
T lymphocyte subpopulations from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
(CLL). 5'N could be detected only in the T cells from patients whose B
cells also had enzyme activity. The specific activity of CLL T4 cells was
0.17 +/- 0.02 micron/h/mg protein, similar to that of normal T4 cells,
which was 0.13 +/- 0.08 micron/h/mg. The CLL T8 cells, however, had a
significantly lower 5'N activity (0.17 +/- 0.02 micron/h/mg) than normal T8
cells (0.41 +/- 0.11 micron/h/mg) (P = .003). Normal null cells had very
low activity, while much higher levels were found in the null cells of CLL
patients whose B cells had activity. These findings document a difference
in activity of an enzyme between the T8 cell population of patients with
CLL and that of normal subjects.
Volume 64,
Issue 2,
pp. 479-481,
08/01/1984
Copyright © 1984 by The American Society of Hematology
