In order to elucidate the possibility of utilizing serum alkaline ribonuclease (RNase) as diagnostic and prognostic markers for leukemia, serum alkaline RNase activity of patients with lymphocytic and myelogenous leukemia was determined before. and after intensive chemotherapeutic measures. And also to investigate the presence of proteins and alkaline RNase specific to leukemia, serum proteins and alkaline RNase .of leukemic patients were isolated and fractionated by a DEAE-cellulose column chromatography.
1. Serum alkaline RNase activity was significantly increased by 61% in acute lym-phocytic leukemia (ALL) and by 81% in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).
2. The positive rate of serum alkaline RNase activity as a marker for leukemia was observed to be 55% in ALL and- 73% in AML. The results suggested that the measurement of serum alkaline RNase could be used for a useful diagnositc measure of ALL and AML.
3. Following the intensive chemotherapeutic measures against leukemia, serum alkaline RNase activity returned toward normal level in 7 out of 9 cases of ALL studied. The results suggested the possibility of using serum alkaline RNase ac-tivity as a prognostic marker for all.
4. DEAE-cellulose column chromatography revealed that two peak proteins, IVb and VI, present in normal control serum disappeared in ALL and three peak proteins, IIc, IVb and VI, disappeared in AML and that a single protein peak V was isolated to be specific to ALL. No alkaline RNase isozyme specific to leukemia was found in the leukemic serum.
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