Prognostic Value of Colony‐stimulating and Colony‐forming cells in Peripheral Blood in Acute Non‐lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract

Colony forming cells (CFC) and colony stimulating activity (CSA) in peripheral blood cells were studied before and repeatedly during treatment of 30 patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia. WBC [white blood cells] obtained after Isopaque-dextran separation were cultured in vitro by a double layer agar technique. Before treatment 16 of 30 patients had CSA and 22 of 29 had CFC. CSA and CFC were found in 15 patients. In follow-up studied during treatment, CSA was unaffected during the leukopenic phase, while CFC were suppressed. No CFC were found at WBC counts below 900/mm3. This seems to imply that CFC are more sensitive to cytotoxic agents than colony stimulating cells. Twelve patients entered remission. All of them had CSA and all 11 who were investigated for CFC had CFC before treatment. Fourteen of 18 non responders lacked 1 or both types of cells. The presence of CSA and CFC in peripheral blood appears to be a sign of favorable prognosis, while the absence of CSA and /or CFC implies lack of response to treatment.