Long-term bone marrow culture in persons with Fanconi anemia and bone
marrow failure
A Butturini and RP Gale
Department of Pediatrics, University of Parma, Italy.
Fanconi anemia is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by a high
risk of developing bone marrow (BM) failure and acute myelogenous leukemia.
We studied growth of hematopoietic progenitor cells in long- term BM
culture (LTBMC) in 8 persons with Fanconi anemia and BM failure. Although
LTBMC were initiated with very few BM cells, an adherent layer formed in
cultures from 7 persons. In these cultures, the number of nonadherent cells
increased for 10 to 15 days. Cell growth continued until cultures were
terminated at day 35 to 40. During the first 2 weeks of culture, most
nonadherent cells were differentiated myeloid cells. By days 35 to 40, the
adherent layer contained cells able to initiate secondary LTBMCs. These
data indicate that hematopoietic precursors cells able to proliferate and
differentiate in vitro are present in the BM of persons with Fanconi anemia
and BM failure. They suggest that mechanisms other than absent precursor
cells are responsible for BM failure in Fanconi anemia.
Volume 83,
Issue 2,
pp. 336-339,
01/15/1994
Copyright © 1994 by The American Society of Hematology
