title: Post bone marrow transplant sera and persisting mast cell colonies.
abstract: Serum samples were collected from eight recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants (BMT) following the normalization of peripheral blood counts. Three patients (11 samples) were in the early engraftment period (less than 6 months post-BMT) and still receiving cyclosporin A or methotrexate and the remaining five patients (18 samples) were in stable engraftment (12-84 months post-BMT) and not on immunosuppressive therapy. All post-BMT serum samples supported the growth of increased numbers of mast cell colonies in long-term agar cultures when compared with normal controls (p less than 0.025-0.005), irrespective of the time from BMT or the presence of clinical graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In contrast, the numbers of neutrophil, monocyte and eosinophil colonies were equivalent in test and control groups. It is proposed that post-BMT sera contain higher levels of a mast cell stimulating activity(s) than does normal sera. Such increased levels might be associated with clinical or subclinical GVHD.
mesh_terms: D001790:Blood Physiological Phenomena; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D003470:Culture Media; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D011184:Postoperative Period
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media