Abstract
One thousand five hundred and twenty five specimens from 582 malignant and 13 non-malignant surgical and autopsy patients were studied for mycoplasma. The malignancies included leukemias, lymphomas, carcinomas and sarcomas. The specimens included hematopoietic tissues such as bone marrow, spleen and lymph nodes, as well as organs such as liver, stomach, kidney, serous effusions and cardiac blood (whole blood, plasma and serum). Although mycoplasmas were occasionally isolated during the tissue culture studies with these specimens, no direct isolation of mycoplasma was encountered with exception of one surgical case (a carcinoma of the floor of the mouth). Reisolation studies from the frozen stored material from these cases were strongly suggestive of laboratory contamination. Histories of the patients including therapies such as radiation, antitumor or leukemic drugs and antibiotics were received.
