title: Prognostic value of in vitro bone marrow culture in refractory anaemia with excess of myeloblasts.
abstract: Bone marrow from 17 patients with refractory anaemia with excess of myeloblasts (RAEM) was cultured in methylcellulose semi-solid medium. Compared with normal bone marrow, 3 patterns of growth occurred corresponding with different clinical stages of the condition. Patients whose bone marrow grew normal colonies and those who produced a predominance of microclusters had the longest life expectance, while those who produced a predominance of macroclusters had the shortest life expectancy with a high rate of acute leukaemic transformation. Colony culture appears to be a useful prognostic tool in the condition.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis