[Diagnostic and prognostic value of the assay of lysozyme in acute leukemia (author's transl)]

Abstract

The diagnostic and prognostic value of the assay of lysozyme in serum and urine was appreciated in 184 cases of acute leukemia. The levels were decreased in the lymphoblastic, mainly of the non B-non T type, and undifferenciated varieties, markedly raised in the monoblastic and myelo-monocytic varieties, while in the myeloblastic ones they were found normal, decreased or slightly increased, and, on the average, significantly higher in the well differenciated than in the poorly differenciated types. For a given cytological type, the level of lysozyme is not correlated with the frequency of the induction of complete remission. However, in the acute myeloblastic leukemia, a significantly higher frequency of infection during or after the induction treatment was observed in the cases presenting initially without a raised serum lysozyme level.