PORPHOBILINOGEN DEAMINASE AND ADENOSINE DEAMINASE ACTIVITY AS A POSSIBLE DIAGNOSTIC AID IN LYMPHATIC LEUKEMIAS.

It has been demonstrated recently that in addition to morphologic and immunologic methods, enzyme characterisation of lymphoid cells is useful in the study and classification of lympho proliferative disorders. Heme biosynthetic pathway and purine metabolism are reported to be disturbed in such patients, this study was an attempt to estimate two enzymes Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) and Porphobilinogen Deaminase (PBGD) and correlate them with cytological and morphological parameters in lymphatic leukemias. Fasting heparinized venous blood samples were collected from 40 patients and 20 controls. Porphobilinogen Deaminase (PBGD) and Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) assays were carried out in peripheral mononuclear cells. Both enzyme activities were significantly elevated in ALL. In CLL, while PBGD activity was elevated, ADA remained in normal limits. Our study indicates that PBGD and ADA Assays will be useful adjuncts to cytomorphological studies in differentiating ALL from CLL.