Abstract
Clinicopathological studies in 29 cases of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) which were examined both blood smear and coagulation-fibrinolytic studies, was performed. On the other hand, 14 cases of acute granulocytic leukemia, 8 cases of highly treated acute granulocytic leukemia and 5 cases of acute monocytic leukemia from the similarity of blood cells, were studied. The author concluded that APL was a specific variant of acute myelogenous leukemia, in which coagulation-fibrinolytic disturbance played an important role in clinical course. Morphological changes in bone marrow of APL which were treated by chemotherapy showed the same in acute myelogenous leukemia, such as fibrosis, fatty metamorphosis and reticulosis. Size and degree of thrombi in various organs of APL differed from the cases of gastric carcinoma. This fact suggest that some characteristics might be found in various disease with DIC.
As for the fibrin clearance from blood, endotoxin injection into rabbit was performed for 21 days with measurement of blood cell counts and coagulation-fibrinolytic activity. That fibrin in blood stream was taken most markedly in Kupffer's stellate cells of the liver among the reticuloendothelial system proved by microscopic, electron microscopic and immunofluorescence method. Moreover, the author examined the liver of APL with ordinary microscopic, electron microscopic and immunofluorescence method. Kupffer's stellate cells contained numerous fibrin and fibrin products, showing positive results with antihuman fibrinogen antibody, antihuman FDP-D and E antibody.
