In Vitro Colony and Cluster Growth in Haemopoietic Dysplasia (The Preleukaemic Syndrome).

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Abstract
The growth and differentiation of granulopoietic progenitor cells from 15 patients with hemopoietic dysplasia were studied by in vitro culture in agar gel. After 14 days in culture, whole colonies and clusters were transferred to glass slides and were stained with a modified Papanicolaou technique. The preparations were examined for cellular differentiation by counting the number of mature cells (band forms and polymorphonuclear cells) and a mitotic index was calculated from the number of mitotic cells. Patients with defective colony formation showed granulopoietic maturation defects; a reduced mitotic index was found in some colonies. Patients who had colony counts within the normal range showed normal in vitro maturation. Defective colony growth in hemopoietic dysplasia generally indicates a malignant course and can occasionally be related to leukemic transformation. The finding of in vitro maturation defects is an additional culture abnormality which may indicate a deteriorating clinical course. A defective maturation and a reduced mitotic index in vitro add support to the concept of clonal progression in malignant hemopoietic dysplasia.