Leukocyte Density and Volume in Normal Subjects and in Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

A method is described for the separation of blood and bone marrow leukocytes on the basis of buoyant density, using a discontinuous Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient. The median cell densities of monocytes and lymphocytes were found to be 1.067-1.077 and 1.073-1.077 g/ml, respectively. The cells of the myeloid series were shown to increase in density with maturation; the myeloblasts had the lowest density (1.064-1.065 g/ml) and the neutrophils the highest (> 1.080 g/ml). Cell volumes have been determined on isolated cell populations. The findings were: monocytes, 534 ± 47 cu µ;lymphocytes, 247 ± 18 cu µ;and neutrophils, 468 ± 24 cu µ.Fourteen patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were studied. In four patients, the lymphoblasts were of low density (< 1.068 g/ml), whereas the remaining patients had high density (> 1.068 g/ml) lymphoblasts. These four patients had large numbers of lymphoblasts in the peripheral blood and a poor prognosis. Lymphoblast volumes were not different in these two groups and were unrelated to prognosis.