Blood, 1957, Vol. 12, No. 7, pp. 620-634.
© 1957 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Studies on the Hemolysin and Agglutinin of
Leukemic Leukocytes
BERNARD PIROFSKY 1
1 Division of Experimental Medicine, University of Oregon Medical School,
Portland, Oregon.
1. Leukocytes from thirteen cases of leukemia were isolated, homogenized,
and extracted in 0.88 M sucrose, 0.14 M NaCl, and 2.0 M NaCl solutions. All
thirteen 0.88 M sucrose, twelve of thirteen 2.0 M NaCl, and seven of the thirteen 0.14 M NaCl extracts, were found to contain a hemolysin and agglutinin
active against normal and trypsinized erythrocytes.
2. The hemolysin and agglutinin of leukemic leukocyte extracts was found to
differ from coating antibody eluted from erythrocytes of patients with acquired
hemolytic anemia, from 
-glucuronidase, and from anti-H agglutinin. In spite of
great similarities, the hemolysin and agglutinin differed in certain respects from
the lysin-inhibitor complexes that have been extracted from tissues.
3. An inhibitor of the hemolysin and agglutinin of leukemic leukocyte extracts
was found in normal serum. This inhibitor is stable at 56° C. for 30 minutes, is
not dialyzable, is not exhausted from leukemic sera, and apparently does not
permanently change the hemolysin or agglutinin.
4. The possible role of the leukemic leukocyte hemolysin and agglutinin in
instituting premature senescene of the erythrocyte resulting in a "hemopathic"
type of hemolytic anemia is discussed.
Submitted on October 5, 1956
Accepted on February 23, 1957
