Cationic Leukocyte Antigen in Urine of Patients with Chronic Myelocytic Leukaemia

THE cytoplasmic granules of both animal1 and human2 leukocytes contain several basic proteins, some of which show antibacterial activity. Eight or nine such components of granules of human leukaemic myeloid cells can be separated by acrylamide gel electrophoresis2; one of these is lysozyme (muramidase)1. We have reported3 large quantities of lysozyme to be the major cationic protein in the urine of five out of seven cases of chronic myelocytic leukaemia. The specific proteinuria occurred when induction of remission was achieved after X irradiatioii directed against the enlarged spleen.