title: The significance of the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria and myelofibrosis.
abstract: The level of the aminoterminal propeptide Col 1-3 of type III procollagen (PC-III) was determined in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF), to study whether PC-III can be used as a parameter for the rate and/or degree of bone marrow replacement with collagen. Normal PC-III levels were found in PNH (6.6 +/- 1.1 micrograms/l; N: 8.6 +/- 1.8 micrograms/l), while significantly increased levels were found in PMF (24.8 +/- 2.2 micrograms/l). During a follow-up of 1 year, a slight increase of 2 micrograms/l occurred in three patients with a stable fibrosis, while one patient with more active disease demonstrated an increase of 25 micrograms/l. Treatment with acetylsalicylic acid led to a decline of PC-III as well as beta-thromboglobulin level, although normalization did not occur. It was demonstrated by means of gel filtration that the antigens related to the PC-III peptide were heterogenous, and that in PMF at least two main peaks were present, with molecular masses equal to and smaller than PC-III peptide. These data demonstrate that the radioimmunoassay cannot be used for the quantitative determination of PC-III; nevertheless it gives some insight in the process of bone marrow fibrosis.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006457:Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood; D010976:Platelet Count; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000097:blood*; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010455:Peptides; D011347:Procollagen; D003094:Collagen