Differential counts of neutrophil, eosinophil, and macrophage colonies in cultures from human bone marrow and peripheral blood.

Differential counts for neutrophil, eosinophil, and macrophage colonies were performed in 364 methylcellulose cultures of myeloid precursor cells. 2n bone marrow cultures from normals we found a mean total colony count of 56 +/- 17/10(5), of which 65% were neutrophil, 12% eosinophil, and 23% macrophages. In cultures from normal peripheral blood, the mean total colony count was 26 +/- 16/10(6) with 49% neutrophils, 44% eosinophils and 7% macrophages. There was an increase of eosinophil and macrophage colonies in cultures from patients with malignant hematological diseases, solid tumors and Graft-versus-Host disease. Highest eosinophil colony counts were found in Graft-versus-Host disease, highest macrophage colony counts in untreated Hodgkin's disease. Only 1 patient with extremely high eosinophil colony counts had eosinophilia in the peripheral blood. We conclude that in vitro conditions favor eosinophil "commitment". Its increase as nonspecific sign of disease is thus more likely to be recognized in vitro than in vivo.