title: In vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of alpha-interferon on megakaryocyte colony growth in essential thrombocythaemia.
abstract: Megakaryocyte (MK) colony growth of bone marrow mononuclear non-adherent cells was evaluated in 28 patients with essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and in 26 normal controls. The number of MK-colony forming units (CFU-MK per 3 x 10(5) plated cells) was similar in ET (68 +/- 33) and in controls (63 +/- 37), independently of bone marrow accessory cells. On the contrary, the size of the MK colonies was significantly (P less than 0.01) greater in ET patients. Human recombinant alpha-interferon 2a (alpha-IFN), administered to 10 patients at a dose of 3 x 10(6) IU/d s.c. for 11 +/- 3 weeks, was capable of inducing a significant (P less than 0.01) decrease in the number (from 72 +/- 16 to 31 +/- 14) and size of bone marrow CFU-MK, together with a significant reduction of the platelet count (from 1031 +/- 325 to 378 +/- 75 x 10(9)/l). When added in vitro at time 0 to the culture dishes, alpha-IFN inhibited the CFU-MK growth of both normal and ET bone marrow samples, even at very low concentrations (1 and 10 IU/ml). This study demonstrates that alpha-IFN, both in vivo and in vitro, exerts an inhibitory effect on the growth of MK progenitors, which appears to correlate with the clinically documented antiproliferative effect of this cytokine.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Haematology L.e A. Seràgnoli, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gugliotta
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bagnara
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Catani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaggioli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guarini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zauli
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Belmonte
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lauria
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013920:Thrombocythemia, Essential / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins