[Stimulation of hematopoietic stem cells with serum specimens of patients with polycythemia vera].

Mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of normals and patients with terminal renal insufficiency on hemodialysis were set up in methylcellulose cultures with and without addition of sera of patients with polycythemia vera (pv). In renal patients we found more intensive stimulation of hematopoietic progenitor cells after addition of pv-sera than in normals. The findings suggest a hematopoietic factor in sera of pv which is not identical with erythropoietin.