Employing a mixed rosette method, the population of peripheral lymphocytes, which bear both sheep erythrocyte and complement receptors (D-RFC), was determined in 16 cases of healthy children, 18 cases of ALL and 7 cases of AML.
Though D-RFC was not seen before treatment of 9 cases of ALL, it increased on the 5th day during initial treatment of vincristine and corticosteroid, and decreased to normal range a week later.
The mean percentage value was 6.4±0.9% (M±SE) during the initial treatment, 1.53±0.2% in remission of ALL, respectively.
The former was higher than that of normal children (1.9±0.2%) (p<0.01). In AML it was 0.5% during initial treatment, 0.6±0.1% in remission respectively.
No effect of antileukemic agents in vitro on the percentage of D-RFC in healthy adult lymphocytes was found.
The figures of D-RFC in ALL studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy were similar to normal T-lymphocyte, having smooth cell surface with some hairs.
