title: Endogenous megakaryocyte colonies from peripheral blood in precursor cell cultures of patients with myeloproliferative disorders.
abstract: Megakaryocyte colony formation, as identified by conventional techniques, was observed in precursor cell cultures from peripheral blood in 8 of 20 consecutive patients with diagnosis of myeloproliferative disease (4/11 patients with polycythemia vera, 3/5 with essential thrombocythemia, 1/2 with primary osteomyelofibrosis and 2 with a myeloproliferative syndrome not further assessable), but not in 50 healthy controls (p less than 0.0001). 7 cultures showed spontaneous erythroid colonies, but were negative for megakaryocyte colonies. Megakaryocyte colony formation was independent of added erythropoietin, plasma or human leukocyte-conditioned medium, but was dependent on the presence of accessory cells. The cells in megakaryocyte colonies had the characteristic morphology of megakaryocytes and stained positively with the IIIa/IIb monoclonal anti-platelet antibody. Thus, megakaryocyte colony formation by precursor cells from peripheral blood in the absence of exogenous stimulating factors seems to be a phenomenon specific for myeloproliferative disease. Differential diagnosis of thrombocythemia may be facilitated by demonstration of endogenous megakaryocyte colony formation, which does not occur in secondary disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Kantonsspital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Battegay
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomssen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nissen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gudat
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Speck
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D003470:Culture Media; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D009196:Myeloproliferative Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011087:Polycythemia Vera / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D013920:Thrombocythemia, Essential / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004921:Erythropoietin