Endogenous megakaryocyte colonies from peripheral blood in precursor cell cultures of patients with myeloproliferative disorders.

Megakaryocyte colony formation, as identified by conventional techniques, was observed in precursor cell cultures from peripheral blood in 8 of 20 consecutive patients with diagnosis of myeloproliferative disease (4/11 patients with polycythemia vera, 3/5 with essential thrombocythemia, 1/2 with primary osteomyelofibrosis and 2 with a myeloproliferative syndrome not further assessable), but not in 50 healthy controls (p less than 0.0001). 7 cultures showed spontaneous erythroid colonies, but were negative for megakaryocyte colonies. Megakaryocyte colony formation was independent of added erythropoietin, plasma or human leukocyte-conditioned medium, but was dependent on the presence of accessory cells. The cells in megakaryocyte colonies had the characteristic morphology of megakaryocytes and stained positively with the IIIa/IIb monoclonal anti-platelet antibody. Thus, megakaryocyte colony formation by precursor cells from peripheral blood in the absence of exogenous stimulating factors seems to be a phenomenon specific for myeloproliferative disease. Differential diagnosis of thrombocythemia may be facilitated by demonstration of endogenous megakaryocyte colony formation, which does not occur in secondary disease.