Cell kinetics in human cyclic neutropenia.

Cell kinetics have been studied at several periods in a patient with typical cyclic neutropenia. Peripheral blood granulocyte labelling showed an increased destruction in the preleucopenic phase. Bone marrow colony-forming cells and blood leucocyte colony forming activity were normal or above the normal range. The major abnormalities were found in sequential studies of bone marrow proliferation measured by "in vitro" 3H-thymidine flash labelling. A fall in the labelling index of promyelocytes was observed in the second part of the cycle. Incubation of normal human bone marrow cells with patient's granulocytes showed a marked decrease in 3H-thymidine incorporation, compared with incubation with the same number of normal granulocytes. Human cyclic neutropenia seems to be due to a factor secreted by abnormal polymorphonuclears inhibiting myeloid proliferation.