Protein synthesis in the blood lymphocytes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and its relationship to prognosis.

Protein synthesis primed by endogenous messenger RNA (mRNA) as well as polyuridylic acid-[poly (U)] directed polyphenylalanine synthesis was measured in extracts of blood lymphocytes from a series of 50 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and compared with the prognostic stage. Patients were clinically classified according to the new international workshop classification [4]. There were 23 patients at stage A, 14 at stage B and 13 at stage C. Extracts from patients of the high risk group (stage C), defined by anemia and/or thrombocytopenia, exhibited a significantly higher poly (U)-translation activity than extracts from low and intermediate risk patients-stages A and B--(P less than 0.01). This finding has a sensitivity of 62% but a specificity of 100%. During follow-up, an increase of poly (U)-translation and endogenous protein synthesis was observed after changing from stages A or B to stage C. Activity of protein synthesis could neither be correlated with proliferation activity, as measured by lymphocyte doubling time, nor with the expression of immunologic surface markers, nor with serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels.