Metabolism of peripheral lymphocytes, interleukin-2-activated lymphocytes and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from 31P NMR studies

31O NMR spectra of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were found to be significantly diefferent form those of normal peripheral lymphocytes. The greatest difference was in the phosphodiester (PDE) region, mainly in the glycerophosphocholine (GPC) signal. Short-term activation of peripheral lymphocytes with interleukin-2 induced a small increase in ATP levels. In all lumphocytes the phosphomonoester (PME) region is dominated by phosphoethanolamine (PE), while there is an unusual absence of phosphocholine (PC). Perfusion of these cells with high concentrations of choline caused only a minimal increase in PC, indicating that choline kinase is not the rate limiting step of lecithin synthesis in lymphocytes. (author). 13 refs.; 3 figs.; 1 tab