To the nucleolar bodies (nucleoli) in cells of the lymphocytic lineage in patients suffering from B – chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to provide more information on nucleoli in lymphocytes of B -chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The computer assisted nucleolar and cytoplasmic RNA image densitometry, reflecting the nucleolar and cytoplasmic RNA concentration at the single cell level, demonstrated a remarkable stability during the differentiation and maturation of B-lymphocytes. In contrast, as it was expected, the nucleolar diameter during the lymphocytic development markedly decreased. Thus the nucleolar RNA content of leukemic B-lymphocytes was apparently related to the nucleolar size. In both immature and mature lymphocytes, the cytostatic treatment increased the incidence of micronucleoli, which represent the "inactive" type of nucleoli. However, the decreased values of the nucleolar diameter were statistically significant only in mature lymphocytes of treated patients. On the other hand, despite such observation, it must be mentioned that "large active" and "ring shaped resting" nucleoli were still present in immature and mature lymphocytes after the cytostatic therapy and such cells might represent a potential pool of proliferating cells. As it is generally accepted "large active nucleoli" with multiple fibrillar centers are known to be characteristic for proliferating cells. "Ring shaped resting nucleoli" are present in sleeping cells, which may be stimulated to return to the cell cycle and to proliferate again. In addition, the nucleolar RNA distribution also indicated that Gumprecht ghosts mostly originated from mature lymphocytes. Increased ratio of the nucleolar to cytoplasmic RNA density in Gumprecht ghosts or apoptotic cells and apoptotic bodies of the lymphocytic origin was related to the decreased cytoplasmic RNA concentration. The increased nucleolar size together with the markedly decreased cytoplasmic RNA concentration characteristic for Gumprecht ghosts just reflected the spreading of lymphocytes during smear preparations. In apoptotic cells or bodies of the lymphocytic origin, the "frozen" nucleolar RNA concentration accompanied by a reduced RNA concentration in the cytoplasm exhibited a remarkable similarity to the apoptotic process induced in vitro by the cytostatic treatment. Keywords: B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia; lymphocytes; nucleolar classes; size; nucleolar RNA image density -concentrationduring differentiation and maturation of erythroblasts [13]. In contrary, in differentiating and maturing granulocytes, the RNA concentration decreased "asymmetrically" since the cytoplasmic RNA concentration in advanced stages of the granulocytic development decreased earlier than that of nucleoli [14].The present study was undertaken to provide more information on the RNA image density, i.e. RNA concentration in nucleoli and cytoplasm of immature and mature B-lymphocytes using the computer assisted image densitometry in situ at the single cell level. For this study, RNA in nucleoli and cytoplasm was visualized in unfixed peripheral blood smears by a simple and sensitive cytochemical procedure that fa...

RNA Concentration and Content in the Nucleoli and Cytoplasmic Rim in Differentiating Lymphocytes of Patients Suffering from B Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia – a Cytochemical Note

“…RNA in Leukemic Lymphocytes, a Cytochemical Note differs from that of granulocytes or erythroblasts. In granulocytic and erythroid cell lineages, the larger reduction of RNA concentration in the cytoplasm of advanced differentiation steps might be due not only to the decreased nucleolar biosynthetic activity, but also to the "frozen" transport of nucleolar RNA to the cytoplasm (Smetana et al, 2010a(Smetana et al, , 2010b(Smetana et al, , 2011. In contrast, the reduction of the RNA concentration and content in the cytoplasm of advanced differentiation steps of CLL lymphocytes was smaller than that in the nucleolus.…”

“…The slightly decreased nucleolar RNA concentration together with the markedly reduced size of nucleolar bodies (Smetana et al, 2010b(Smetana et al, , 2020 during the differentiation of CLL lymphocytes morphologically expressed a marked reduction of the nucleolar RNA content (Table 2). The RNA content in the cytoplasmic rim of differentiated mature or terminal lymphocytes was also reduced, but much less (Table 2).…”

Gumprecht shadows: when to use this terminology?

“…A search in the PubMed database using terms Gumprecht chronic lymphocytic leukemia revealed just five reports (4,12,13,36,37) , what confirms that the term has fallen into disuse.…”

Microscopic notes on the perinucleolar chromatin region in immature and mature human B-leukemia lymphocytes

“…The nucleated blood cells and especially leukemia lymphocytes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia represent a very convenient model for such study because they are present in the peripheral blood or bone marrow in a satisfactory number and their maturation stages including the nucleolar morphology and size are well known [7][8][9]. It is also generally known that mature lymphocytes are mostly in G0 or early G1 phase of the cell cycle.…”