STUDIES ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE WHITE BLOOD CELL: THE GLYCOGEN CONTENT OF LEUKOCYTES IN LEUKEMIA AND POLYCYTHEMIA

The technic of determining glycogen in isolated white blood cells was appliedto the study of the different types of leukemia and of polycythemia, in order toobtain information on the physiology of the white blood cell. From this study itis concluded that the granulated leukocyte is the only carrier of glycogen in wholeblood. The "reducing substances" in lymphocytes and blast cells are not consideredas true glycogen.

The glycogen content of wet white blood cells in the rabbit amounts to about1 per cent. In the human being a range of from 0.17 to 0.67 per cent was calculated.In disease higher percentages occur, in polycythemia up to 1.64 per cent and inglycogen storage disease up to 3.05 per cent.

The glycogen concentration of normal white blood cells is within the same rangeas that of the striated muscle.

Note: I acknowledge with gratitude my indebtedness to Dr. William Dameshek for giving me the opportunity of analyzing the blood of some of the patients studied. Miss M. H. Campbell, Miss H. A. Clark,and Miss L. M. Garofalo have aided in carrying out many of the blood counts.