Abstract
The cellular exudates in skin windows of 10 normal controls, 3 patients with myeloblastic leukemia, 3 patients with acute monocytic leukemia and 4 patients with symptomatic monocytosis were evaluated by cytochemical methods (naphthol-AS-esterase, acid phosphatase, naphthylamidase, sudan-black B) and by immunofluorescence using a specific antiserum against human lysozyme. Monocytes and derived cells were identified by their content of characteristic NaF (1.5 mg./ml.) -sensitive naphthol-AS-esterase, whose presence was demonstrated by a double incubation method. After an initial decrease, corresponding to degranulation, the acid hydrolases appeared again in the Golgi zone. Macrophages with NaF-sensitive esterase and strong lysosomal enzyme activities became apparent after 12-16 hours, and there was no indication of a development of these cells from lymphocytes. In myeloblastic leukemia and symptomatic monocytosis the cellular exudate was comparable to that of normal humans. In monocytic leukemia an early exudation, predominantly of monocytoid cells, (instead of granulocytes) was a consistent finding. The transformation of monocytoid cells to typical macrophages with an increase of the lysosomal enzymes occurred with enzyme activities remaining lower than in normals.
