[Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase--a marker for lymphatic neoplasms]

We used the enzymoimmunoassay for quantitative determination of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in twenty patients suffering from various hematopoietic and lymphoproliferative diseases. These results were compared to the cytomorphological and cytochemical classification of the diseases. High TdT values were found in all patients suffering from acute lymphatic leukemia, lymphoblastic malignant lymphoma and in case of chronic myeloid leukemia in blastic transformation, whereas negative values of this enzyme were observed in all patients with acute myeloid leukemia, most patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in blastic transformation, those with hairy-cell leukemia and in refractory anemia with blast excess. The aim of this study was to confirm the clinical significance of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase as a biochemical marker in differential diagnostics of leukemias and lymphomas.