The total cellularity of the bone marrow in man

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  • WHW. J. Harrison
    W. J. Harrison
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Abstract
The Fe59 method of Suit (1957) has been used to estimate total bone marrow cellularity in 10 haematologically normal patients. A mean figure of 10·4 × 109 nucleated cells/kg. body weight was obtained. Simultaneous estimates from marrow obtained by rib excision produced a mean value of 11·1 × 109 nucleated cells/kg. Previous work by this and other methods is reviewed. While some results agree well with those of the present work, one is higher by 50% and another by 300%. Corrections are suggested which reduce these figures and bring all published results within a small range. Reasonably accurate determinations of total marrow cellularity in disease will not be possible until more is known of marrow Fe59 uptake in abnormal states.

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