The relative rates of formation of new leukocytes in patients with acute and chronic leukemias.Measured by the uptake of radioactive phosphorus in the isolated desoxyribosenucleic acid

A shown that the rates of new-cell formation may be compared by the rates of incorporation of radioactive phosphorus (P32) into desoxyribosenucleic acid (DNA). Further evidence in support of the validity of this principle has been reported in a study by Osgood and his co-workers.l' This technique of comparing the rates of new-cell formation from the rates of P3? incorporation in DNA has been applied to an in vivo study of patients with acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemias, subacute monocytic leukemias, and chronic granulocytic leukemias. Certain fundamental differences in the growth rates of leukocytes from patients with different kinds of leukemias have been noted and will be presented here. A search of the literature failed to reveal any other report on the pattern of the in vivo P32 uptake in the "isolated DNA" fraction of human leukocytes.