Acid phosphatase and acid esterase activity in neoplastic and non‐neoplastic lymphoid cells A semiquantitative evaluation related to immunological markers in 112 cases

Abstract

Acid phosphatase (AcP) and acid α‐naphthylacetate esterase (ANAE) were examined in lymphoid cells from 104 patients suffering from various lymphoproliferative disorders and from 8 healthy controls. Enzyme activities were evaluated by means of a scoring system. Scores of AcP and ANAE were higher in normal T cells than non‐T cells. In comparison, the activated T cells in infectious mononucleosis showed increased AcP and decreased ANAE reaction. Malignant T lymphoblasts had a distinct granular AcP positivity in contrast to the faint reactivity observed in cALL blasts, whereas ANAE showed negative or weak reaction in both subsets. High scores and distinct staining patterns for both enzymes were found in T CLL and T prolymphocytic leukaemia, clearly different from the weak activities seen in B CLL, B PLL and some B cell lymphomas. The latter, too, could be distinguished by mutual differences in enzyme reactions. High AcP and ANAE scores were also found in hairy cell leukaemia, and the staining patterns together with the tartrate resistance firmly established the diagnosis. Thus, simultaneous determinations of AcP and ANAE can be of great value in the diagnosis of lymphoid malignancies.

Ultrastructural localization of acid phosphatase in immunologically defined neoplastic lymphocytic cells and hairy cells A comparison between two different substrates

“…On the whole, the electron microscopical determination of AcP activity within the different cell types corresponded closely with the patterns found by light microscopy (8).…”

Ultrastructural localization of acid alpha‐naphthylacetate esterase in human normal and neoplastic lymphocytic and monocytic cells and in hairy cells

“…The diagnosis was based on cell morphology in Giemsa-stained smears, on cytochemical stainings (myeloperoxidase, acid-and neutral non-specific esterase with and without sodium fluoride as inhibitor, acid phosphatase with and without inhibition with tartrate, chloroacetate esterase, alkaline phosphatase and PAS) and on immunological investigations. The latter are described in greater detail elsewhere (5).…”

“…From a previous study on the ANAE activity in normal and neoplastic lymphoid cells, certain characteristic staining patterns could be assessed at the light microscopical level ( 5 ) . The purpose of the present study was to extend these investigations at the ultrastructural level in order to further characterize the enzyme reactions.…”