The mitogenic activity of leukemic plasma

Abstract

Normal white blood cells were cultured in plasma obtained from leukemic subjects during active disease and during remission. No mitotic activity was discernible with “remission” plasma, whereas normal cells cultured in “active” plasma showed considerable mitotic activity. Conversely, leukemic cells cultured in normal plasma showed no mitotic activity. It is proposed that there is present in leukemic plasma, during the active stages of the disease, a factor(s) capable of inducing mitoses in normal white cells.