LYMPHOCYTE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF MYELOPROLIFERATIVE PROCESSES IN THE BLOOD SYSTEM
The development of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) leads to dysfunction of the cellular components of the innate immune system; however, a population of normal lymphocytes is preserved in the bloodstream. These white blood cells are key participants of the adaptive immune system, but their functional activity remains poorly studied. Thus, the research aimed to investigate the functional properties of the lymphocyte cell surface (stiffness, charge, and adhesive properties) in patients with malignant proliferation of the myeloid line of the blood system. Various scanning modes of atomic force microscopy were used to study the micro- and nanomechanical properties of the cell surface, measure Young's modulus, characterizing its stiffness, as well as the charge of the cell membrane, and adhesion forces between the cells. The research found that the stiffness and potential of the cell surface of lymphocyte subpopulation during treatment increased by 128 % ( p < 0.05) and 12 % ( p < 0.05), respectively, compared with the control. Further, intercellular interactions between lymphocytes and platelets were studied: during the treatment, the adhesive strength between them increased by 37 % ( p < 0.05), compared with the control. Patients at the stages of treatment and relapse had similar functional properties of the cell surface and cellular responses. The results obtained are of theoretical importance for the study of biophysical properties of the surface of immune cells. In practice, the paper can contribute to the search for effective treatment regimens aimed at preserving the functional properties of the cell surface of the lymphoid line of haematopoiesis.