title: Bone marrow progenitor cells from chemically exposed workers display an intrinsic ability for autonomous proliferation.
abstract: In this study, the autonomous proliferation of bone marrow progenitor cells (CFU-C), a pathological phenomenon observed in many hematological abnormalities, was investigated in 31 individuals who had been diagnosed as having neutropenia. Of these subjects, 18 had been chronically exposed (range of exposure 5-30 years) to a variety of petroleum distillates. We observed that the group of exposed individuals presented higher numbers of autonomous CFU-C when compared with those unexposed subjects. In addition, follow-up data demonstrated that 20% of the exposed population (4 of the 18) developed malignant hematological diseases. The autonomous CFU-C obtained from all individuals studied was composed predominantly of macrophages. This suggests an involvement of these cells in the development of hematological abnormalities, probably as a result of increased production of chemical myelotoxic metabolites.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia/Hemocentro, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marize Campos
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Valadares
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bincoletto
authors.forename: Sueli C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.forename: Sara T O
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Mary L S
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Queiroz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010578:Petroleum / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum