Poly(adenosine diphosphoribose) polymerase in peripheral blood leukocytes from normal donors and patients with malignancies

A two-color flow cytometric technique was developed to analyze poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PADPRP) in different individuals as a function of different physiological or pathological conditions and to establish the basis for determining whether enzyme deficiency may predispose to degenerative or malignant disorders. Peripheral blood granulocytes were devoid of enzyme activity, whereas mononuclear cells had variable amounts. PADPRP was highest in B cells, intermediate in T cells, and lowest in monocytes. This pattern of enzyme distribution and relative enzyme content of different types of cells was remarkably constant in normal subjects. In a series of 66 normal donors there was no significant biological variation in enzyme content as a function of age, race, or sex. The mean PADPRP values in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 81 random patient samples obtained from an ambulatory oncology clinic did not differ significantly from normal subjects. However, groups of patients with breast cancer, lymphocytic malignancies, and esophageal cancer were observed to have below normal levels for peripheral blood mononuclear cell PADPRP.