title: Regulation of human peripheral blood BFU-E growth in vitro by leukaemic B-lymphocytes.
abstract: We report a stimulating effect of leukaemic B-lymphocytes from anaemic and non-anaemic patients with CLL on the proliferation of normal peripheral blood BFU-E. Coculture of leukaemic B-cells at various concentrations (2.5 X 10(3)-10(6)) with 2.5 X 10(5) mononuclear cells from normal peripheral blood increased the number of BFU-E derived erythroid colonies. The same effect was observed when the number of target cells was varied in the presence of a fixed number of B-lymphocytes, with a clear linear relationship. B-cell conditioned medium gave a similar increase when added to the culture instead of B-cells. At high concentration of B-cells from anaemic patients, the size of the colonies was increased and a large number of macroscopic colonies was seen. The place of the B-cells in the regulation of erythroid progenitors in relation to monocytes and T-lymphocytes has still to be established.
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media