title: Mixed colony formation composed of erythroblasts and myeloblasts by leukemic blast progenitors in patients with erythroleukemia.
abstract: To determine the clonal origin and growth requirement of leukemic blast progenitors in erythroleukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) M6, T cell-depleted mononuclear cells obtained from 5 erythroleukemia patients were cultured in methylcellulose media. Although plating efficiency did not significantly differ from those in the other AML subtypes, the morphology of colonies in erythroleukemia was distinct. Two types of colonies were formed; one was composed of myeloblasts, and the other consisted of erythroblasts and myeloblasts. The "mixed" colony formation was not stimulated by interleukin-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or erythropoietin. Both types of colonies were formed spontaneously in the absence of supplemented growth-stimulatory factor when cultured at high density. The results suggest that leukemic blast progenitors in erythroleukemia originated at the stage of bipotent hematopoietic precursor capable of differentiating into erythroid and myeloid lineages. The formation of mixed colonies composed of erythroblasts and myeloblasts in the absence of erythropoietin or colony-stimulating factor may indicate the deranged hematopoiesis in erythroleukemia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D004900:Erythroblasts / Q000473:pathology*; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D004915:Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured