[Cytostatic activity of granulocytes in patients with acute leukemia]

The in vitro spontaneous cytostatic activity of peripheral blood granulocytes against human tumour cell of erythromyeloid line K-562 has been studied in healthy persons and in patients with acute leukemia. It has been found that with the target cell K-562: granulocyte ratio of 1:20, the normal granulocytes inhibit the K-562 cell growth by 44.3 +/- 3.1% at 37 degrees C within 42 h; in patients with acute leukemia in the acute phase of the disease the cytostatic activity is greatly lowered, while in remission up to two years it increases, however, without reaching the normal values. In remissions of more than three years, this physiological function of granulocytes is normalized.