Granulocytic Progenitor Cells in Aplastic Anaemia

Abstract

The characteristics and the concentration of granulopoietic colony forming cells (CFC) were examined in 22 patients with aplastic anemia at different stages of their disease. The ability of peripheral leukocytes to elaborate factors necessary for colony stimulation in vitro (CSA) was studied. The ability of cells to generate CSA was unaffected. The incidence of CFC within the marrow and peripheral blood suspensions was significantly reduced in all patients. The results suggest a reduced compartment size of CFC, even in those patients who recovered from aplastic anemia. This may indicate that the disturbances in the preceding compartments of the hemopoietic cell renewal system still persist after recovery from the acute bone marrow failure.