Complement sensitivity of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria bone marrow cells.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired disorder in which erythrocytes, granulocytes, and platelets are defective, as shown by increased susceptibility of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets to complement-mediated lysis in vitro. The purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity to complement lysis of PNH and non-PNH erythroid and myeloid precursors using the release of 59Fe and myeloperoxidase as specific markers to monitor the lytic action of complement on erythroid and myeloid cell precursors, respectively. Erythroid cell precursors in four of four PNH patients demonstrated increased sensitivity to complement-mediated lysis. Myeloid cell precursors in four of five PNH patients also exhibited increased sensitivity to complement and antibody. In addition, CFU-c growth was below normal in the marrow of seven PNH patients. These findings support the hypothesis that the defect in PNH occurs at the level of the hematopoietic stem cell.