Some quantitative micromorphological characteristics of granulocytic leukemia in 239Pu-injected mice and untreated controls.

Cytologic and histologic evaluation of granulocytic leukemia was carried out in 22 plutonium-treated mice and in 17 controls. The contaminated animals were injected i. v. with 5.4 kBq 239Pu/mouse (180 kBq/kg) at the age of 70 days. Morphologic evidence of the disease was based on the identification of immature abnormal granulocytes in the bone marrow and spleen and on the histologically ascertained leukemic infiltration at least in one of the tissues examined (liver, lung, kidney, lymph nodes). Whatever further symptoms are thought to be of non-specific value. The leukemic process could be mostly evaluated as more florid in the spleen than in the bone marrow. The less active leukemic proliferation in 239Pu-treated mice than in diseased controls is the most important finding of this study. The results are discussed.