Quantitative aspects of respiration and glycolysis in the white cells of human blood

Summary

The study of the velocity of respiration and glycolysis of various forms of human leukocytes deomonstrated that these indicators of metabolism of white blood cells may be quantitatively compared with these indicators found in case of human carcinoma and sarcoma (formerly established by O. Warburg and his collaborators. Coefficints$Q_{CO_2 }^{N_2 } /Q_{O_2 }$ and$Q_{CO_2 }^{O_2 } /Q_{O_2 }$ were also found to be very similar in cancer cells and leukocytes. In case of leukocytes of normal blood$Q_{O_2 } \left( {5.7} \right); Q_{CO_2 }^{O_2 } = 18.8; Q_{CO_2 }^{N_2 } = 31;$ the ratio$Q_{CO_2 }^{N_2 } /Q_{O_2 } = 5.5;$ the ratio$Q_{CO_2 }^{O_2 } /Q_{O_2 } = 3.3$.

As to the leukocytes of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia these values equalled; 5, 13, 2; 23, 3; 4.7 and 2.6, respectively. In case of lymphocytes the values of respiration and glycolysis were:$Q_{O_2 } = 7.9; Q_{CO_2 }^{O_2 } = 0; Q_{CO_2 }^{N_2 } = 27.2$. The ratio$Q_{CO_2 }^{N_2 } /Q_{O_2 } = 3.4$.