The activity of μ-calpain is significantly higher, whereas that of m-calpain is reduced in the B-CLL cells compared with B cells of healthy people.

The graphs show a summary of results obtained from 15 B-CLL patients and PBLs or enriched CD3⁻ cells of 4 age-matched healthy people. Bars correspond to mean activities of μ-calpain (A) and m-calpain (B) expressed as arbitrary densitometric units ± SD. The numbers of cases tested are shown on the bars. Asterisks indicate statistical significance of difference (Student t test) between the adjacent bars (CLL, CD3⁻) at the level ofP < .01 (**) and P < .05 (*).