Bone marrow fibroblasts (BMF) have been shown to be able to support granuiopoiesis.
The present studies were designed to see whether BMF in patients with agnogenic myeioid metapiasia (AMM) are also able to support granulopoiesis. Myeioid colonystimulating activity (CSA) was assayed in BMF derived from the three groups of patients. 1) Group I: Patients with hip fracture but without underlying hematoiogical disease; patients with solid tumor but without bone marrow metastasis; and patients with iron deficiency anemia. 2) Group ii: Patients with myeioproiiferative disorders other than AMM. 3) Group 111: Patients with AMM or myelofibrosis with prior history of polycythemia Vera. CSA was determined in a bilayer agar culture system inwhich EMF served as a feeder layer and either mouse or human marrow cells were employed as target cells.
There was no difference of CSA production by BMF among these three patient groups.
These studies suggest that BMF cultured from patients with myeiofibrosis exhibit similar myeloid stimulating activity as do BMF from other patients. A significant correlation was also found between CSA production by BMF and white blood cell counts in patients with myelofibrosis (group 111). This suggests that BMF may have a role in either supporting or producing CSA for granulopoiesis in myelofibrosis.