T-lymphoblastic leukaemia and aspartate aminotransferase

AST levels from 11 untreated children with T-ALL were found to be significantly higher than those from 74 children with non-T disease. The enzyme was not related to haemoglobin or bilirubin levels nor to the presence of hepatosplenomegaly in any of the patients. It was correlated with the white cell count, but only in the T-cell group and not the remainder. It was also correlated with a parallel (but lesser) rise in ALT, but again only in the T-cell group. The blast cells themselves contained little or no transaminase activity, so it is probable that T-ALL produces more extramedullary tissue damage than non-T disease.