Recovery of Marrow Myeloid Progenitors (CFU-GM) after Bone Marrow Transplantation, Especially Associated with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD)

Abstract

Six patients underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for treatment of acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. Hemopoietic reconstitution after BMT was monitored by peripheral blood counts, counts of bone marrow cellularity, bone marrow pictures, and clonal assays for myeloid progenitors (CFU-GM).
Although bone marrow samples were markedly hypocellular on day 7 posttransplant, myeloid and erythroid elements were seen in 5 of 6 patients. Peripheral blood recovery of these 5 patients was achieved by third weeks posttransplant. The values of (CFU-GM) per 1×10⁵ marrow mononuclear cells reached normal values on day 7 in two patients and significantly increased by day 28 in a patient. After day 84 the values of (CFU-GM) were remained almost normal and they had no relation to the occurence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). But in patients with chronic GVHD, marrow (CFU-GM) values were significantly increased on day 7 and day 14. These results suggest that marrow (CFU-GM) values by day 28 may predict the occurence of chronic GVHD.