[A specific rosette formation method in assessing the immunological status of acute leukemia patients]

The paper deals with the evaluation of immunologic vigor in 88 patients suffering acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It involved a modified test of specific rosette formation of blood-circulating lymphocytes and those of the bone marrow with erythrocytes bearing leukemia cell extracts. The highest levels of rosette-forming lymphocytes were registered in the acute period prior to treatment and in recurrence. The said levels decreased gradually following chemoimmunotherapy, falling to nil in complete remission. Patients in whom the treatment had failed revealed no changes in lymphocyte response. The control group (healthy subjects and cases of nonmalignant hematologic pathology) showed levels of rosette-forming lymphocytes similar to those in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients in remission.