title: Studies of the site and distribution of CD34+ cells in idiopathic myelofibrosis.
abstract: The frequency and distribution of CD34+ cells in the bone marrow (BM) of patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM) were determined using an immunohistochemical technique. The percentage and absolute number of circulating CD34+ cells were enumerated. Patients with IM exhibited a continuum of number of BM CD34+ cells ranging from 1 to 85 per 5 mm(2). The frequency of BM CD34+ cells was inversely related to the number of circulating CD34+ cells. The BM biopsy specimens obtained from 4 patients with IM who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation were examined sequentially. Quantitative measurement revealed that the reticulin fiber volume was progressively reduced after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. All 4 patients had normocellular marrow with normal numbers of BM CD34+ cells after transplantation. These findings suggest that the BM fibrosis and abnormal hematopoietic stem cell distribution in patients with IM is a consequence of the progeny of a malignant hematopoietic stem cell clone.
authors.affiliation: Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pathology, University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, USA.
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barosi
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rondelli
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34