DISTRIBUTION OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN CONTAINING CELLS IN HUMAN BONE MARROW OF PATIENTS WITH LEUKEMIA

In the bone marrow of leukemic patients (31 cases), the number of Immunoglobulin containing cells per unit square significantly decreased to the level of approximately 20–50% of the age-matched control, although the serum level of immunoglobulin in these patients was almost comparable to the control level. The number of immunoglobulin containing cells in the bone marrow was inversely related with the degree of infiltration of leukemic cells and the correlation of Ig-G containing cell count (Y) and percentage of blast cells (X) was Y = 91.8–1.9X (r =−0.436, P<0.05). Follow-up examination of the bone marrow after chemotherapy revealed that the recovery of the number of immunoglobulin containing cells in the remission state appeared to occur in younger patients, but not in older ones.