Erythroid and granulocyte-macrophage colony formation in myelodysplastic syndromes

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Abstract
Colony formation by hematopoietic progenitors from the bone marrow was studied in 44 patients with a myelodysplastic syndrome. Erythroid progenitors BFU-E [erythropoietic burst-forming cell] and CFU-E [erythroid colony-forming unit] were cultured in methyl cellulose, and granulocyte-macrophage precursors CFU-GM in agar. Three of 32 patients showed normal numbers of BFU-E colonies; in all the other cases the number of these colonies was below the normal range. CFU-E colony formation was subnormal in all cases. Of 44 patients, 23 grew normal numbers of colonies and clusters in CFU-GM cultures. These patients had refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts (FAB-classification) or 5q-karyotype anomaly in the marrow. Patients lacking both of these findings exhibited reduced colony formation or excessive growth of colonies and/or clusters, with few exceptions. Erythroid colony formation was defective in all cases. Normal granulocyte-macrophage colony formation was associated with refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts or the presence of 5q-karyotype anomaly.