[Culture of leukocytes of patients with hairy cell leukaemia in the diffusion chamber (author's transl)].

Peripheral blood cells from patients with hairy cell leukaemia were cultured in diffusion chambers implanted intraperitoneally. Proliferation of hairy cells could be observed in all patients. Granulo-, erythro- and monocytopoiesis showed no difference of proliferation and differentiation as compared to normal persons. This demonstrates that the presence of hairy cells in the culture did not influence the growth pattern of the residual haemopoiesis. From this result it can be additionally supposed that patients have a regular content of haemopoietic stem cells in peripheral blood. However the growth of lymphocytes and plasmacells showed a significant difference compared with normal persons. The cause is unknown as yet.