ATP-ase activity of lymphocytes from normal individuals and patients with cancer

Ultrastructural localization of adenosine triphosphatase activity in lymphocytes activated in vitro by phytohaemagglutinin

The ultrastructural localization of Ca2+, Mg2+-activated ATPase was studied in phytohaemagglutinin activated lymphocytes and in normal unstimulated lymphocytes. Cells, fixed in paraformaldehyde--glutaraldehyde, were incubated in a medium containing 3 mM ATP, 5 mM CaCl2 and 2.4 mM Pb(NO3)2 in 0.1 M tris buffer at pH 8.5, the optimum pH for histochemical demonstration of this enzyme. Reaction product was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum, nuclear membrane, Golgi apparatus and mitochondria and on the membrane surrounding large electron-dense bodies. Cytoplasmic vesicles and the plasma membrane were negative. Activity in unstimulated lymphocytes showed a similar localization but the amount of endoplasmic reticulum was much less than in activated lymphocytes. The pH of the medium was critical for the localization of the enzyme. At pH 7.5, the cytoplasmic reaction was almost completely inhibited but a dense precipitate was present on the outer surface of the plasma membrane. The reaction was stimulated by either Ca2+ or Mg2+ and was greatly decreased in the absence of these cations or in the presence of p-chloromercuribenzoate or N-ethylmaleimide. Oligomycin inhibited selectively the reaction in mitochondria but not the reaction at other sites. While the reaction in mitochondria showed complete substrate specificity, a mild reaction was obtained at the other sites with uridine diphosphate or sodium beta-glycophosphate as substrate. ATP was, however, the preferential substrate.

Cytochemical demonstration of increased adenosine triphosphatase activity in lymphocytes activated in vitro by phytohaemagglutinin or by the mixed lymphocyte reaction

Cytochemical investigations of ATPase activity were performed on lymphocytes isolated from peripheral blood and activated in vitro by phytohaemagglutinin or by the two-way mixed lymphocyte reaction. Uncultured lymphocytes showed very little activity localized in small granules. The activity increased markedly during transformation. In fully transformed and actively proliferating cells, the ATPase activity was intense and localized in a crescentic perinuclear area of cytoplasm which was pale-staining and vesicular in Giemsa-stained preparations. In mitotic cells, the activity was in discrete granules or elongated structures suggestive of mitochondria, scattered throughout the cytoplasm. The ATPase activity had a pH optimum of 8.5 to 9.5 and was strongly inhibited at pH 7.5. The activity was stimulated by Ca2+ and Mg2+ and was inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate but not by oligomycin, which appeared to enhance the reaction. Lead nitrate at a concentration of 3 mM did not inhibit the reaction.

Changes of adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activities in lymphocytes from patients with carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract

The activities of both total and Oligomycin-sensitive ATPase in lymphocytes from patients with gastrointestinal tract (GI) carcinomas in different Karnofsky performance status (KPS) were determined to investigate whether or not the changes of these enzyme activities were correlated to those of the immune responsiveness of the patients. In the patients whose KPS indicated more than 50%, the mean value of the total ATPase activity in lymphocytes tended to increase slightly as compared with that determined in the control subjects, but the mean value of the Oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity in lymphocytes tended to decrease slightly as compared with that determined in the control subjects. In the patients whose KPS indicated less than 30%, the mean values of the activities of both total and Oligomycin-sensitive ATPase in lymphocytes tended to decrease remarkably as compared with those determined in the control subjects. The ATPase activities in lymphocytes were suggested to be useful measures to the immune responsiveness of the patients with GI carcinomas.

Lymphocyte ATPase activity in patients with carcinoma of the larynx. A follow-up study on 45 patients

Mitochondria-related Mg ATPase activity was assayed in lymphocytes isolated from the blood in 45 patients with epidermoid carcinomas of the larynx. Increased activity was found in 11 patients and normal or subnormal activity in the remaining cases. No correlation could be demonstrated between the magnitude or the spreading of the malignancy as recorded by the TNM classification and the ATPase activity. In 36 patients determinations were carried out repeatedly during a period from 6 to 20 months following therapy and after 3 years a final follow-up on all patients was done. All patients received high-voltage radiotherapy and in 7 patients additional partial or total laryngectomia was carried out, one patient had bilateral neck dissection. After radiotherapy the ATPase activity decreased significantly in 17 patients while it either remained normal or increased temporarily in the rest. No correlation was found between the course of the disease and the initial ATPase activity or the pattern of variation in ATPase activity following therapy. Contrary to what resulted from a preliminary study, it is concluded that determination of lymphocyte ATPase activity is of no diagnostic value in patients with laryngeal carcinoma, nor does it offer any prognostic help in determining which patients may relapse or develop metastatic disease.

ATP-ase activity of purified human normal T- and B-lymphocytes

In 15 healthy individuals the ATP-ase activity of circulating B-lymphocytes was found to be significantly higher than of T-lymphocytes. Two different methods were used for the purification of B- and T-lymphocytes and the result was independent of which one of these methods was used. The demonstration of different ATP-ase activities of unstimulated B- and T-lymphocytes corresponds well with previously published histochemical findings in lymphatic tissues examined for ATP-ase activity. It is concluded from the present study that because of overlapping values determination of the lymphocyte ATP-ase activity cannot serve as a single marker for the B- and T-cell nature of human lymphocytes, but demonstration of an unusual high ATP-ase activity in unstimulated lymphocytes will serve as additional identification of these as belonging to the B-lymphocyte population.

Increased ATP-ase activity of lymphocytes after rosette formation with sheep red blood cells

In a number of experiments it was demonstrated that in the E-rosette assay for human T-lymphocytes using sheep red blood cells, the ATP-ase activity of the lymphocytes increased in proportion to the number of rosettes being formed. Also, after increasing the number of rosettes by treatment of the sheep red blood cells (SRBC) with neuraminidase and after diminishing the number of rosettes by treatment of the lymphocytes with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG), change in the ATP-ase activity was proportional to alterations in the number of rosettes being formed. ALG itself stimulated the lymphocyte ATP-ase activity, possibly through activation of the same receptor sites as used by SRBC.

Restoration of defective cellular immunity by levamisole in a patient with immunoblastic lymphadenopathy

A 71-year-old woman presented with acutely developed symptoms of generalized lymphadenopathy, intermittent maculo-papular skin rash, pruritus, weight loss, hepato-splenomegaly, pleural exsudate and alternating breast swellings. The histopathological picture of biopsies from a lymph node and from the skin was diagnostic for immunoblastic lymphadenopathy, and the serum concentrations of IgG and IgA were increased. Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to various antigens were totally extinguished and the number of T-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood was consistently very low. The number of both T- and B-lymphocytes further decreased during cytostatic treatment and the patient contracted numerous infections. During intermittent treatment with Levamisole the infectious episodes ceased, the cellular immune response was reestablished and the pathological hyperimmuneglobulinaemia suppressed. It is suggested that the primary immunological defect in this disease could be a failing cellular immunity, and that the hyperplasia and hyper-reactivity of the B-cell system are a secondary phenomenon.

Increased lymphocyte ATP-ase activity in patients with carcinomas of the oral cavity and larynx

Increased mitochondrial ATP-ase activity was found in circulating lymphocytes from 5 out of 8 patients with carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx and from 5 out of 10 patients with carcinoma of the larynx. In a majority of these cases changes in the ATP-ase activity after treatment paralled to the clinical result of treatment. It is suggested that determination of ATP-ase activity of circulating lymphocytes is of diagnostic value in patients with oral, oropharyngeal and laryngeal carcinomas as well as prognostic value after treatment of the patients.

Lymphocyte ATP-ase activity in treated cases of Hodgkin's disease

The ATP-ase activity was determined in lymphocytes isolated from peripheral blood in 41 patients with Hodgkin's disease and 50 healthy controls. All patients were previously treated with irradiation or cytostatic drugs and 17 patients were under maintenance therapy at the time of investigation. A significantly increased ATP-ase activity was found in lymphocytes from patients with Hodgkin's disease. The individual activities were unrelated to the clinical stage of the disease, but correlated to the histological classification of the lymphatic tissue. Significantly lower lymphocyte ATP-ase activity was found in patients under maintenance treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, especially if the patients had previously been irradiated. It is suggested that the ATP-ase activity of circulating lymphocytes is related to the immunological activity against the presence of the malignant cells in Hodgkin's disease.

In vitro parameters of cell-mediated immune reactions in healthy individuals following immune-stimulation attempts with levamisole

In vitro parameters of cellular immune reactions were followed by 10 healthy individuals during administration of levamisole. Leucocyte migration tests, lymphocyte transformation tests and ATP-ase activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes were investigated. Levamisole did not influence resting human lymphocytes of the stimulation response of lymphocytes. The metabolic activity of lymphocytes expressed by their ATP-ase activity was not significantly changed after levamisole administration.

ATP-ase activity of lymphocytes from patients with carcinomas of the urinary bladder

In 13 out of 26 patients with urinary bladder carcinomas in various stages of malignancy, the ATP-ase activity of circulating lymphocytes was found significantly elevated. A decline in the ATP-ase activity was demonstrated in 14 of 17 patients re-investigated after treatment, while the activity remained unchanged in 2 and rose in 1 patient. No correlation between the clinical tumour stage and the lymphocyte ATP-ase activity was found, but the activity was closely correlated to the histological grade of malignancy. In 11 of the 17 patients the clinical effect of the treatment was closely correlated to a decline in ATP-ase activity. Determination of lymphocyte ATP-ase activity is suggested as an additional and simple help in the diagnosis of bladder carcinoma and in the follow-up control after treatment of patients with this disease.