OCCURRENCE OF FREE AMINO ACIDS — VERTEBRATES 373 
FREE AMINO ACIDS IN THE BLOOD OF MAN AND ANIMALS 
II. NORMAL INDIVIDUALS AND PATIENTS WITH 
CHRONIC GRANULOCYTIC LEUKEMIA AND POLYCYTHEMIA 
GEORGE ROUSER, KEITH KELLY, ARTHUR J. SAMUELS, BOHDAN JELINEK 
AND DOROTHY HELLER 
Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine, City of Hope Medical Center, 
Duarte, Calif. (U.S.A.) 
Part I of this series presents the methods used for the study of the free amino acids 
of blood and urine and the results of various control studies. This report presents 
the findings for normal individuals and patients with diseases affecting the myeloid 
series of cells. 
General nature of the free amino acid pools in leukemia as compared to normal 
After the examination of 199 blood samples, 20 urine samples, and 15 bone marrow 
specimens from 16 patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia it was concluded 
that the free amino acids of plasma, cells, and urine of untreated leukemic patients 
were qualitatively similar to those from normal individuals. No new compounds were 
observed in leukemic patients except after treatment. The amino acid levels of the 
blood in leukemia and polycythemia were observed to deviate on occasions from the 
levels observed in normal individuals. 
Blood plasma 
Approximately one-half of the plasma samples from the leukemic patients examined 
were within the normal range. This includes samples taken both before and after 
drug administration. Drugs may bring about a variety of changes in plasma free 
amino acids (see parts IV and V). Deviations from the normal free amino acid patterns 
for untreated patients were of two general types: an elevation of the levels of most of 
the plasma amino acids, or the distinct elevation of the level of glutamic acid only. 
Illustrations of the maximum deviations from normal will be emphasized here. 
Numerous additional examples of findings for normals and leukemics are presented 
in other parts of this series. 
Fig. 76 shows the free amino acids found in blood plasma of a normal male 
(E. Eme.). The sample was chosen for the present illustration because it shows one of 
the highest levels of glutamic acid that we have observed in a normal individual. 
This is to be contrasted with the plasma sample shown in Fig. 77 obtained from a 
patient (E. McG., 9) with chronic granulocytic leukemia that shows an elevation of 
the plasma glutamic acid level. The patient had a 35 000/mm# white cell count and 
had been treated with myleran until 2 weeks prior to examination. At the time of 
examination the patient’s count was rising and the blood contained many immature 
cells (49°, polymorphonuclears, 26° myelocytes, 5° promyelocytes, 16° myelo- 
blasts, 1% eosinophils, 1°/, monocytes, and 2°% lymphocytes). 
Fig. 78 illustrates the plasma free amino acid pattern from a patient whose plasma 
References*p. 447/448 
