Quantitative analysis of the expression of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins during the maturation of different hematopoietic cell compartments of normal bone marrow.

BACKGROUND

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-AP) are a heterogeneous group of proteins deficiently expressed in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Up till now, no study has been reported in which the exact patterns of expression of a large number of GPI-AP are quantitatively evaluated in normal bone marrow (BM) cells classified according to their lineage and maturation stage.

METHODS

In the present study, we have quantitatively analyzed the expression of eleven different GPI-AP (CD14, CD16, CD24, CD48, CD52, CD58, CD59, CD66b, CD87, CD109 and CD157) during maturation of the neutrophil, monocytic, erythroid, lymphoid, basophil and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DC) lineages in normal BM as a frame of reference for the understanding of the abnormal patterns of expression of GPI-AP observed in the BM of PNH patients.

RESULTS

Our results show that expression of most GPI-AP varies during normal BM maturation, different profiles being frequently observed depending on the cell lineage or the GPI-AP analyzed.

CONCLUSION

Overall, these results provide a detailed map GPI-AP expression during normal hematopoietic differentiation, which could serve as a basis for the identification and characterization of changes occurring in PNH.