Effect of Oxymetholone on Human Cyclic Haematopoiesis

Abstract

A 62 yr old woman had recurrent fluctuations of neutrophil, monocyte, reticulocyte and platelet counts with a cycling time of 38.5 day. Periodic fluctuations of granulo-, erythro- and megakaryopoiesis were demonstrated in the bone-marrow. Oxymetholone reduced the magnitude of the profound cyclic fluctuations in all these cell lines. During treatment a reduced number of in vitro CFU-C [granulocytic progenitor cell] of the progenitor myeloid series from the bone marrow was observed. Using the patient leukocytes as feeders for normal control marrow cells, indication was found for a fluctuation in colony stimulating activity in vitro, rising above normal at the nadir of the WBC (white blood cell).