SEM and TEM studies on the osmotic behavior of control and leukemic lymphocytes and polymorphonuclears

The osmotic behavior of control lymphocytes (CL) and polymorphonuclears (CPMN) was compared with that of cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML), using the method of gradual dialysis against distilled water. The results were evaluated with a fragiligraph, and by scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. The fragiligraphy curves showed that CLL cells are more resistant to osmotic pressure than the CL, whereas the curves for CPMN and CML cells showed an overlap. Surface alterations in CL appeared as early as 1 min of dialysis, while in CLL cells the membrane did not show major alterations even after 5 min of dialysis. CPMN also showed alterations earlier than CML cells, but this difference was not as prominent as in the case of lymphocytes and was observed for a maximum of 3 min of dialysis. The internal structure of the cells was altered earlier than the surface membrane and this was expressed mainly in the nucleus in both control and leukemic cells. Also in this respect, the internal structure of CL was altered earlier than that of CLL cells, whereas no major differences were observed between CPMN and CML cells.