Bone marrow changes associated with recombinant granulocyte-macrophage and granulocyte colony-stimulating factors. Discrimination of granulocytic regeneration.

Abstract

The hematopoietic growth factors recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor are associated with changes of the bone marrow. To evaluate the morphologic features and to differentiate them from leukemia, bone marrow specimens from 12 patients who had been treated with one of these agents were evaluated. The bone marrow displayed marked promyelocytic hyperplasia and a less striking increased percentage of myeloblasts. In each of the 11 patients without leukemia at the time of bone marrow biopsy, the percentage of promyelocytes in the bone marrow was greater than that of myeloblasts. Cytologic features of stimulated regeneration included diffuse cytoplasmic hypergranulation of immature neutrophilic precursors that had prominent perinuclear spherical clear areas representing the Golgi zones. With consideration of bone marrow composition and careful attention to cytologic detail, the distinction of bone marrow regeneration from acute leukemia can be made in most patients who are being treated with recombinant hematopoietic growth factors.