Regulation of human peripheral blood BFU-E growth in vitro by leukaemic B-lymphocytes

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Abstract
A stimulating effect of leukemic B-lymphocytes is reported from anemic and non-anemic patients with CLL [chronic lymphocytic leukemia] on the proliferation of normal peripheral blood BFU-E [erythroid burst forming unit]. Coculture of leukemic B-cells at various concentrations (2.5 .times. 103-106) with 2.5 .times. 105 mononuclear cells from normal peripheral blood increased the number of BFU-E derived erythroid colonies. The same effect was observed when the number of target cells was varied in the presence of a fixed number of B-lymphocytes with a clear linear relationship. B-cell conditioned medium gave a similar increase when added to the culture instead of B-cells. At high concentration of B-cells from anemic patients, the size of the colonies was increased and a large number of macroscopic colonies was seen. The place of the B-cells in the regulation of erythroid progenitors in relation to monocytes and T-lymphocytes has still to be established.