Liver glucose-6-phosphatase and carbohydrate metabolism in childhood leukemia.

Extract: Triplicate determinations of glucose-6-phosphatase activity in the 37,000 × g fraction of human liver homogenates were made. Table I summarizes the results from 100 consecutive autopsies. Enzyme activity for 78 nonleukemic children was 95 ± 66 (1 SD), and for 22 leukemic children was 17 ± 12 (1 SD) (p < 0.001). In the leukemic group there was no relation between the glucose-6-phosphatase activity with antileukemic drug therapy, the white blood cell count and the duration of the disease prior to death. The quantity of leukemic infiltrate in these livers varied, but there was no correlation between the extent of infiltration and enzyme activity. Several livers from leukemic children had no infiltrate and still had low glucose-6-phosphatase activities. One infant with liver glycogen disease had the expected reduction in glucose-6-phosphatase activity. A few children with other diseases (histiocytosis X, lupus erythematosis, aplastic anemia and retinoblastoma) had low enzyme activity in the liver.