Further studies on satellite nucleoli of lymphocytes in patients suffering from B chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Satellite nucleoli were studied in lymphocytes of patients suffering from various stages of B chronic lymphocytic leukaemia without and after treatment with cytostatic monotherapy with chlorambucil. The percentage of lymphocytes with satellite nucleoli in the peripheral blood of investigated patients was very constant and showed only a statistically non-significant slight trend to decrease in the most advanced stage of the disease. In contrast, the count of these cells increased in advanced stages of the disease, and decreased after the cytostatic chemotherapy. From the methodological point of view, satellite nucleoli may be easily visualized by means of a simple staining for RNA with acidified basic dyes without fixation. Such staining provided similar results as cytochemical immunoreactions for the characteristic nucleolar protein B23.