Humoral-dependent hemopoiesis and flow cytometric analysis of chronic myelogenous leukemia in erythroblastic transformation.

Bone marrow and peripheral blood cells from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia in erythroblastic transformation were studied by flow cytometry and for hemopoietic colony growth. Results demonstrated that this disorder had greatly expanded bone marrow erythroid colony (CFU-E) and myeloid colony (CFU-GM) progenitor compartments that were totally dependent upon erythropoietin and colony-stimulating factor. DNA, RNA and cell cycle analysis revealed that the bone marrow cells were diploid, had a high percentage of S phase cells (17%), and a unique bimodal RNA index of 5 and 13.8. Results are discussed and contrasted with other myeloproliferative disorders.