title: Prognostic value of colony-stimulating and colony-forming cells in peripheral blood in acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: Colony-forming cells (CFC) and colony-stimulating activity (CSA) in peripheral blood cells have been studied before and repeatedly during treatment of 30 patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia. WBC obtained after Isopaque-dextran separation were cultured in vitro by a double-layer agar technique. Before treatment 16 patients out of 30 had CSA and 22 out of 29 had CFC; both CSA and CFC were found in 15 patients. In follow-up studies during treatment, CSA was mainly unaffected during the leukopenic phase, while CFC were suppressed. No CFC were found at WBC counts below 900/mm3. This seems to imply that CFC are more sensitive to cytotoxic agents than colony-stimulating cells. Twelve patients entered remission; all of them had CSA and all the 11 who were investigated for CFC had CFC before treatment. Fourteen out of 18 non-responders lacked one or both types of cells. The presence of CSA and CFC in peripheral blood therefore appears to be a sign of favorable prognosis, while the absence of CSA and/or CFC implies lack of response to treatment.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000097:blood; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
chemical_list: D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors; D003561:Cytarabine; D003630:Daunorubicin