Granulocytic and stromal progenitors in the bone marrow of patients with primary myelofibrosis

Quantitative and qualitative changes in granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) and fibroblast colony-forming cells (CFU-F) were studied in 7 patients with primary myelofibrosis (MF). Marrow cells were collected from bone biopsy specimens after treatment with collagenase. The number of CFU-GM correlated with the amount of haemopoietic tissue noted in the bone marrow histology and ranged between 0-400/mg of bone. CFU-F were increased in 2 patients with moderate fibrosis. Circulating CFU-GM were increased in all patients studied (169-3749/ml of blood). There was no significant correlation between the number of CFU-GM in the bone marrow and that in the blood. Cytochemical studies showed a high incidence in eosinophil progenitors in the bone marrow and especially in the blood of patients with MF. These data suggest a functional abnormality of myeloid progenitors in this disease.