title: Purine pathway enzyme abnormalities in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: The status of three purine pathway enzymes, adenosine deaminase, 5'-nucleotidase, and purine nucleoside phosphorylase, was evaluated in the leukemic cells of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and correlated with routine immunological cell surface markers. A distinct pattern of enzyme activity was noted in T-lymphoblasts which have significantly higher adenosine deaminase activity (p less than 0.02) and lower 5'-nucleotidase (p less than 0.001) and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (p less than 0.01) activities than do non-T, non-B lymphoblasts. This enzyme pattern is similar to that observed in normal human thymocytes but is not shared by the mature, normal T-lymphocytes of peripheral blood, suggesting that it may reflect the differentiation status of malignant T-lymphoblasts. These findings, which confirm the biochemical heterogeneity of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, may provide an avenue for selective chemotherapy of this disease.
mesh_terms: D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; D000208:Acute Disease; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D009700:Nucleoside Deaminases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009708:Nucleotidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010430:Pentosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011687:Purines / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D011687:Purines; D010430:Pentosyltransferases; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase; D009708:Nucleotidases; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; D009700:Nucleoside Deaminases; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase