title: Adenosine deaminase activity in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: cytochemical, immunological and clinical correlations.
abstract: Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity has been assessed in lymphoid cells of 23 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in order to attempt a further characterization of ALL cells in addition to the well known cytochemical and immunological T and B lymphoid cell markers. ADA activity did not show any correlation with the immunological characterization of the patients investigated; in fact a wide range of ADA activity was observed with levels ranging from 0 to 32 U in T-ALL patients and nearly similar values (from 1.8 to 36 U) in the group of non T--non B ALL cases. Normal values ranged from 2 to 5 U (mean 2.9 U; s.d. +/- 0.8). Some cytochemical patterns (acid phosphatase and PAS) appeared well correlated with T markers of lymphoid cells, whereas they showed no significant relationship with ADA activity.
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009700:Nucleoside Deaminases / Q000097:blood*; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D009700:Nucleoside Deaminases; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase