Spontaneous Formation of Megakaryocyte Progenitors (CFU-MK) in Primary Thrombocythaemia

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Abstract
An improved plasma clot culture method for CFU megakaryocytes (MK) has been developed with a higher plating efficiency and easier identification and enumeration of MK colonies by an indirect immuno-peroxidase staining using a monoclonal antibody specific to the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex. This technique has been used to study megakaryocytopoiesis in 20 normal individuals, 4 recently diagnosed patients with untreated primary thrombocythaemia (PT) and 2 patients with secondary thrombocytosis (ST). An increased number of MK colonies was evident in peripheral blood (mean 115 ± 31 CFU-MK/5 × 105 seeded cells or 206 ± 91/ml) and to a lesser extent in bone marrow (mean 188 + 26 CFU-MK/5 × 105 seeded cells or 696 ± 103/ml) of PT patients as compared to controls (mean 11 ± 4/5 × 105 seeded cells or 13 ± 3/ml of peripheral blood and 153 ± 15/5 × 105 seeded cells or 319 ± 43/ml of bone marrow). There was a very obvious difference between PT patients and the others (controls plus ST patients) because CFU-MK growth with no added stimulus (PHA-LCM or PHA-LCM and normal serum) could be seen in PT patients only