Cytokinetic Studies in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia: Evidence for Early Presence of Abnormal Myeloblasts

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Abstract
Some cytokinetic parameters (mitotic index, stathmokinetic index after vincristine in vivo, and 3H‐Thymidine flash‐labelling index) of blood and bone marrow cells have been studied in 5 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML); 3 cases were studied at the time of diagnosis. The labelling index of promyelocytes + myelocytes was very similar to those reported for the corresponding cell types in normal individuals; moreover, the labelling index was identical in marrow and in blood. In contrast, the myeloblasts of CML had a much lower labelling index than normal myeloblasts; also, the labelling index of blood myeloblasts was definitely lower than in marrow myeloblasts. These characteristics of CML myeloblasts are similar to the pattern observed in myeloblasts in acute myeloid leukaemia. As compared to normal granulocytopoiesis, the present study also suggests an overproduction of myeloblasts relative to the production of promyelocytes and myelocytes. From these observations it is suggested that already at the clinical onset of CML, an abnormal subpopulation of myeloblasts has been established.

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