Histo-immunology of myelofibrosis: a study of 100 cases.

A search for immunoglobulin deposits in normal and fibrous interstitial tissue was carried out on 100 bone marrow biopsies (44 myeloproliferative disorders and 56 other hemopathies). This preliminary study enabled one to draw three conslusions: 1) The search for immunoglobulins is only possible on non-decalcified bone marrow. The direct immunofluorescent technique gives better results than peroxidase staining: 2) In myeloproliferative disorders immunoglobulins (especially G) are more frequent and more often associated with a myelofibrosis than in other hemopathies, and 3) The more pronounced the fibrosis the more frequent the immunoglobulin deposits, except at the osteomyelosclerosis stage. They are never found in the fibrosis secondary to intramedullary carcinomatous metastases.