Clonogenic assays and engraftment in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
The significance of clonogenic assays for determining the hematopoietic potential of bone marrow grafts is still a matter of controversy. We determined the number of myeloid (GM-CFU), early erythroid (BFUe) and mixed (CFU-GEM) clones in 23 consecutive allogeneic bone marrow grafts. The growth of GM-CFU was stimulated by placental-conditioned medium, whereas both phytohemagglutinin-stimulated leucocyte-conditioned medium (PHA-LCM) and 'pluripoietin' from the 5637 cell line served as equally efficient stimulators of BFUe and CFU-GEM growth. Plating efficiency (e.o.p.) of GM-CFU and numbers of myeloid and mixed progenitors transplanted per kg body weight were significantly lower in those patients who died in the aplastic phase 2-6 weeks postgrafting (n = 4). These data show that low numbers of clonogenic cells, in particular GM-CFU, indicate a higher risk of death from infection following bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and argue for a contribution of GM-CFU in the seeding of an aplastic bone marrow.
D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000209:etiology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period / Q000401:mortality; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous