Basophil production in myeloproliferative disorders: increases during acute blastic transformation of chronic myeloid leukemia

We have examined basophil production (BP) in suspension cultures of separated peripheral blood cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).Seventy cultures were performed in 47 patients.33 in chronic and 1 4 in the accelerated/acute phase of CML.None of 13 normal controls, 0/21 treated chronic phase, 3/33 untreated chronic phase.and 14/18 ( p < 0.0001) accelerated/acute phase CML cultures showed at least twofold increases in basophils and histamine in vitro at 14-21 days.A gradient effect of disease phase on BP was observed: maximal histamine content (ng/10 cells) was 16 4 for chronic.56 19 for accelerated.and 1 83 73 for acute phase CML cultures (mean SE. p < 0.002).while basophils (per i0 cells) numbered 23 7, 59 20. and 267 81 .(mean SE, p < 0.0003).respectively.Multivariate analysis of maximal differences in basophils or histamine in vitro and simple T HE OCCURRENCE of increased numbers of circulating blood basophils in CML and related myeloproliferative disorders (MD) has been noted anecdotally by many authors and has been purported to be an indicator of disease severity or impending (c) / 982 by Grune