Flow cytometric analysis of megakaryocyte ploidy in chronic myeloproliferative disorders and reactive thrombocytosis.

• Megakaryocyte (MK) ploidy patterns were analysed by flow cytometry in 29 newly diagnosed and previously untreated patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) and concomitant thrombocytosis, in 9 patients with reactive thrombocytosis (RT) and in 12 healthy individuals. Unfractionated bone marrow from routine aspirates was used. MKs were identified with a fluorescein labelled monoclonal antibody specific for glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa) and DNA was stained with propidium iodide. For the 12 healthy volunteers the mean modal ploidy number was 16 N; the 9 patients with RT displayed an identical MK ploidy pattern. The frequency of MKs with a ploidy > or = 32 N was 45% among the patients with essential thrombocythaemia (ET) compared to 32% among the healthy volunteers (p < 0.001). MKs with ploidy number > or = 64 N, comprising approximately 13% of the total number of MKs, was a characteristic finding in the patients with ET. Similar findings were present in 8 patients with polycythaemia vera (PV). In patients with PV 34% and 6% of the MKs displayed ploidies > or = 32 N and > or = 64 N, respectively. In contrast, a distinct shift towards lower ploidy number, with 63% of MKs < or = 8 N, was found among the 4 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The present results indicate that by using flow cytometric analysis of MK ploidy distribution in patients with thrombocytosis, those with a reactive cause are likely to be discriminated from patients with myeloproliferative thrombocytosis, i.e. PV and ET on one hand and CML on the other hand. The distinction between ET and PV, however, has to be made on other grounds.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Hematologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Hematology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Cell- och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Cell and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Annan klinisk medicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Other Clinical Medicine (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Adult

Aged

Female

Flow Cytometry

methods

Humans

Leukemia

Myelogenous

Chronic

BCR-ABL Positive

blood

genetics

Male

Megakaryocytes

pathology

Middle Aged

Myeloproliferative Disorders

blood

genetics

Platelet Count

Ploidies

Polycythemia Vera

blood

genetics

Reference Values

Thrombocytosis

blood

etiology

genetics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)