Prostaglandin E2 production by human bone marrow cells: a comparison with peripheral blood mononuclear cells

The amount of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the supernatant of human bone marrow cell cultures was measured by radioimmunoassay. Bone marrow cells were obtained from adult patients without hematological malignancies. Marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) (0.5 X 10(6)) and marrow nonadherent cells (BMNAC) (0.5 X 10(6)) were cultured at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2 in 0.5 ml RPMI 1640 supplemented with L-glutamine, 10% fetal calf serum and 10 mM Hepes buffer. The levels of PGE2 in the supernatant of BMMNC after 24 hr and 48 hr incubation were 3,000 +/- 2,320 pg/ml (n = 10, mean +/- S.D.) and 4,470 +/- 3,510 pg/ml (n = 12), respectively. The kinetics of PGE2 production by BMMNC was different from that of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The level of PGE2 in the supernatant of BMNAC after 48 hr incubation was only 1/18 when compared to that of BMMNC. These data suggest that the major source of PGE2 in the supernatant of marrow cell cultures may be bone marrow mononuclear phagocytes and that admixed blood mononuclear cells in BMMNC may produce only a small amount of PGE2.