Blood granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cell concentrations and differentiation in vitro in patients with hepatic...

Blood granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM) and myeloid differentiation were studied in 16 patients with hepatic cirrhosis by culturing blood mononuclear cells in semisolid and in liquid medium. The numbers of CFU-GM from normal and cirrhotic subjects were not significantly different, even when increased numbers of monocyte-macrophagic colonies and decreased numbers of granulocytic colonies were observed in cirrhotic patients. Significantly reduced granulocytic growth and increased monocyte-macrophagic cell growth were found in liquid culture of cirrhotic patients. These data seem to indicate that in hepatic cirrhosis, besides granulocyte sequestration within the spleen, there is a disorder of granulocytic versus monocyte-macrophagic differentiation.