Prognostic significance of general immune competence in acute leukemia.

The prognostic significance of lymphocyte transformation rate, E-RFC%, 29 degrees C E-RFC%, serum IgG, IgA, IgM and C3 levels were studied in 286 patients with acute leukemia. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the pretreatment immunological parameters were not related to whether the patients could achieve complete remission (CR), but the patients with E-RFC% greater than 30% before treatment or E-RFC% restored to normal after treatment had a significantly longer survival time. In acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), pretreatment LTR and E-RFC% were significantly higher in patients who could achieve CR subsequently, the patients with higher pretreatment levels of LTR, E-RFC% or 29 degrees C E-RFC% survived significantly longer than patients with lower levels of these parameters, and the patients whose LTR could return to normal after treatment had a significantly higher CR rate and longer survival times. Except that the pretreatment IgM level was related to the survival of ANLL patients, serum levels of immunoglobulins and C3 had no prognostic value for both ALL and ANLL. In both ALL and ANLL, the immunological parameters changed significantly when relapse occurred.