Ultrastructural and Functional Studies on the Lymphocytes of a Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and Nuclear Extrusion

The cells of a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) showed a peculiar phenomenon of nuclear blebbing and nuclear extrusion, observed by transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy. Protein synthesis of the lymphocytes was 3 times higher than that of cells of other 3 patients with CLL, but was lower than the synthesis of cells from a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Similar results were observed when RNA synthesizing activity of the cells was examined. On the other hand, thymidine incorporation proceeded in a similar rate in the patient's and the ALL lymphocytes, whereas in those of CLL patients it was merely detected. The morphological findings and the synthesizing activities of the cells suggest that the patient's disease represents an intermediate form between CLL and ALL.