agar and Agranulocytosis

Congenital neutropenia (CN), a disease characterized by recurrent infections leading to death in infancy, shows a maturation arrest of the myeloid series at the promyelocyte-myelocyte level. The potential value of marrow transplantation in this disease would be determined by the nature of the underlying defect. However, studies to date have failed to define whether the defect is intrinsic in the cells or attributable to "environmental" factors. Therefore, marrow of four patients with CN was cultured on soft agar, and the colonies were analyzed by a newly developed ultrastructural method. In parallel, patients' cells were used in feeder layers for normal marrow. Although the patients' colonies appeared grossly normal in size and number, electron microscopy showed only rare neutrophil colonies. These colonies contained markedly aberrant cells exhibiting asynchronous nucleocytoplasmic maturation, convoluted nuclei, excessive cytoplasm, and dearth of granules. Monocyte and eosinophil colonies differentiated normally. Patients' cells and sera supported growth of normal colonies. The studies have demonstrated unequivocally that the neutrophil cell line of patients with CN is intrinsically defective and suggest that attempts at marrow grafting are warranted.

Topics: Agar; Agranulocytosis; Bone Marrow; Bone Marrow Cells; Cells, Cultured; Eosinophils; Female; Humans; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Monocytes; Neutropenia; Plasma Cells

Bone marrow culture in semi-solid agar was used to assess the proliferative activity and the response to sodium aurothiomalate of the myeloid precursor cells from patients during and after recovery from neutropenia associated with the use of this drug. Colony formation was reduced during the neutropenia and returned to normal after recovery. The rheumatoid process itself did not impair colony formation even in patients with Felty's syndrome. Sodium aurothiomalate inhibited colony formation by normal marrow in a dose-dependent manner. Bone marrow colonies from patients who had recovered from neutropenia induced by sodium aurothiomalate were not abnormally sensitive to the inhibitory effect of the drug in vitro. The metabolism of gold is probably altered in a small proportion of patients, which causes high local concentrations within the bone marrow leading directly to marrow depression.

Topics: Adult; Agar; Aged; Agranulocytosis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Bone Marrow; Bone Marrow Cells; Cell Division; Clone Cells; Culture Techniques; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Felty Syndrome; Gold; Humans; Malates; Middle Aged; Neutropenia; Organometallic Compounds; Sulfides

Topics: Agar; Agranulocytosis; Animals; Bone Marrow; Bone Marrow Cells; Cell Division; Cells, Cultured; Chloramphenicol; Clone Cells; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Gold; HeLa Cells; Humans; L Cells; Malates; Mercaptopurine; Methimazole; Mice; Neutrophils; Phenylbutazone; Sulfides; Thiouracil

Topics: Adult; Agar; Aged; Agranulocytosis; Anemia, Hypochromic; Bone Marrow; Bone Marrow Cells; Cell Count; Cell Division; Clone Cells; Female; Hematopoiesis; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Leukocytosis; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophils; Thymidine; Tritium

Topics: Agar; Agranulocytosis; Animals; Antigens; Autoradiography; Blood Cell Count; Bone Marrow; Bone Marrow Cells; Culture Techniques; Hematocrit; Hematopoiesis; Leukocytes; Leukocytosis; Mice; Monocytes; Thymidine; Tritium; Urine

Topics: Agar; Agranulocytosis; Animals; Bone Marrow; Bone Marrow Cells; Cell Differentiation

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Agar; Agranulocytosis; Bone Marrow Diseases; Culture Media; Culture Techniques; Dermatomycoses; Finger Joint; Humans; Joint Diseases; Knee Joint; Male; Middle Aged; Radiography; Sporothrix; Sporotrichosis

Topics: Agar; Agranulocytosis; Autoantibodies; Autoimmune Diseases; Blood Proteins; Child; Electrophoresis; Gels; Humans; Hypersplenism; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic