Abstract
Summary
Bone marrow cells of chronic myelocytic leukemic patients were cultured in a diffusion chamber system. The proliferation of neutrophilic granulocytes was orderly, starting in the myeloblasts and promyelocytes, passing through successive phases of maturation to become segmented neutrophils.
Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase activity of the neutrophils introduced into the chambers was negative. The neutrophils in the chambers were positive when first tested on Day 2. This suggests that the factor(s) controlling the synthesis of LAP is activated in the culture system environment.
The Ph1 chromosome, a hallmark of most CML, was present in the cultures for 21 days, indicating that the chromosome aberration persists and is not influenced by the milieu of the dividing cells in culture, unlike the LAP activity. The results of LAP and chromosome studies together suggest that the defect in CML involves a chromosomal aberration and a defective mechanism for transfer of the genetic message.
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