Characterization of erythroid and granulocyte monocyte progenitors in human cord blood.

Some characteristics of both erythroid and granulocyte monocyte progenitors in human cord blood were compared to those in adult blood and bone marrow. The number of progenitors in cord blood was higher than that in adult blood and bone marrow. Most colonies in cord blood culture were monocyte-macrophage, whereas those from adult blood were largely eosinophilic. Cord blood progenitors had a slower sedimentation velocity than that reported for marrow, but sedimented faster than that for adult blood. A significant proportion of progenitors in cord blood as well as adult marrow was found to be in the DNA synthetic phase of the cell cycle whereas progenitors in adult blood were not. Cord blood BFU-E were more resistant than adult blood BFU-E but cord blood CFU-GM were not different from adult blood CFU-GM with regard to radiation sensitivity. Cord blood CFU-GM appeared to be more radio-resistant than adult marrow GFU-GM. From these results is seems clear that progenitors in cord blood differ in some aspects from those in adult blood and bone marrow.