An Analysis of Peripheral Blood Burst Forming Units‐Erythroid in the Polycythaemic States

Abstract

Peripheral blood burst forming units-erythroid (BFU-E) were measured by the plasma clot cell culture technique in patients with the various subtypes of polycythemia and compared to normal. Ten patients with active polycthemia rubra vera (PRV) were found to have a mean BFU-E level of 48 .+-. 15.8 (SEM [standard error of the mean])/5 .times. 105 cultured cells which was significantly different from normals (4 .+-. 1.1, P < 0.02), patients with controlled PRV (7 .+-. 1.6, P < 0.025), secondary polycythemia (1 .+-. 0.3, P < 0.015) and relative polycythemia (0, P < 0.015). Burst forming units were found to fall to normal levels in patients with PRV with appropriate disease control and then to rise again in patients untreated for more than 18 mo.