Marrow adherent cell colony-stimulating activity production in acute myeloid leukemia

Provision of colony-stimulating activity (CSA) by human marrow cells was determined utilizing culture techniques in vitro to assess intramedullary cellular interactions on human granulopoiesis.CSA production from marrow cells of 21 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was evaluated and compared to normal marrow by testing the capacity of conditioned media from adherent marrow cells to promote granulocytic colony formation in agar of relatively-light-density nonadherent human marrow target cells.Morphologic, cytochemical, density, and phagocytic characteristics of normal marrow cells suggested that marrow CSA production was provided by middensity adherent cells including those of the monocyte-macrophage series.Decreased marrow cell CSA provision was found in 13 of 21 studies of patients with AML at diagnosis or relapse (p < 0.001).