Cytochemical reactions of human hematopoietic cells in liquid culture.

Growth of human bone marrow in liquid suspension cultures has been used to study normal hematopoietic cell differentiation and abnormalities in blood diseases. A variety of cytochemical stains were applied to human marrow cells cultured in vitro for up to 14 days. AS-D- CHLOROACETATE ESTERASE AND ALPHA-NAPHYHYL BUTYrate esterase were most useful in distinguishing different cell lines in culture. Peroxidase activity disappeared with mononuclear phagocyte morphogenesis and diminished with culture in intermediate and mature granulocytes. Acid phosphatase activity and methyl greed pyronin staining intensity increased with macrophage maturation.