Physical, phenotypic and cytochemical characterisation of stroma-adherent blast colony-forming cells.

Primitive cells defined as long-term culture initiating cells (LTCIC) and blast colony-forming cells (Bl-CFC) bind to cultured stromal layers, but cells at later stages of maturation [granulocyte-erythroid-macrophage-monocyte colony-forming cells (GEMM-CFC) granulocyte-macrophage (CM-CFC) and erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-E)] do not. The precise relationship between the LTCIC and Bl-CFC is not known and this study was undertaken to determine their relative positions in the haemopoietic hierarchy. We have defined the Bl-CFC population in terms of its density profile and antigenic phenotype and compared these characteristics with GM-CFC and BFU-E. The progenitor cell populations did not differ in density. The major phenotypic difference was seen using the myeloid monoclonal antibody S17-25 which reacted with fewer Bl-CFC than GM-CFC. Also, we have cytochemically analysed the cells in colonies derived from Bl-CFC. Our studies indicate that the Bl-CFC precede BFU-E and GM-CFC but not the LTCIC.

Deficiency of a phosphatidylinositol-anchored cell adhesion molecule influences haemopoietic progenitor binding to marrow stroma in chronic myeloid leukaemia.

The interactions between haemopoietic progenitor cells and marrow stromal cells that are essential for the regulation of normal haemopoiesis are defective in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The presence of primitive progenitor cells (blast colony-forming cells, Bl-CFC) in the blood of patients with CML is reflected by their reduced capacity to bind to marrow derived stromal layers in vitro. Whereas normal bone marrow Bl-CFC bind irreversibly to cultured stromal layers (and none are found in normal blood), the Bl-CFC in CML bind transiently and then detach. The normal cell adhesion mechanism is partially sensitive to treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (Pl-PLC), indicating the participation of a phosphatidylinositol (Pl)-linked structure; however, when CML cells were treated with Pl-PLC it had no effect on progenitor binding. Two other Pl-linked structures, decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and lymphocyte function associated antigen-3 (LFA-3) were normally expressed on CD34 positive CML cells and normally susceptible to Pl-PLC treatment. The treatment of normal cells with Pl-PLC, to mimic the situation in CML, resulted in the indiscriminate and inefficient binding of Bl-CFC to stroma. Moreover, treatment of the normal cells with 5637 conditioned medium (CM), which contains haemopoietic growth factors, also reduced the binding capacity of normal Bl-CFC; 5637CM treatment did not alter the expression of DAF. It is proposed that a Pl-linked cell adhesion molecule (CAM) is deficient in CML as a consequence of the constitutive activation of ABL kinase whilst, in normal cells, CAMs attached in this manner are responsible for efficient adhesion to stroma and are regulated by growth factors.

Haemopoietic stem cell subpopulations in mouse and man: discrimination by differential adherence and marrow repopulating ability.

Based on the properties of differential cell adherence, we have devised two assays for early progenitor cells in human bone marrow. One progenitor cell population binds to plastic and to pre-formed bone marrow derived stromal layers (P+S+) and gives rise to non-adherent granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (GM-CFC); the other binds to stromal layers but not to plastic (P-S+); both are separable from GM-CFC which are P-S-. We have evaluated the relevance of differential binding properties to marrow repopulation in a murine model. Murine stem cells (spleen colony-forming cells--CFU-S) can be separated into P+S+, P-S+ and P-S- subpopulations by differential adhesion, thus paralleling the progenitor cell subpopulations in human marrow. Post irradiation (850 cGy X-rays) studies have shown that the P+S+ cells are essential for survival and recovery of marrow, spleen and blood cell populations. Also, in a model for purging autografts, we have demonstrated that the leukaemic cells can be separated from P+S+ repopulating cells by exploiting their different binding properties.

Increased DR antigen expression by committed hemopoietic progenitor cells but not primitive progenitor cells in chronic myeloid leukemia.

We used a complement-dependent cytotoxic assay to study the expression of DR antigens by hemopoietic progenitor cells derived from normal marrow and from the blood of patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Almost all normal and CML day-12 granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (d12 GM-CFC) and erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-E) expressed DR antigens. A primitive progenitor cell, the "blast colony-forming cell" (Bl-CFC), also expressed DR antigens whether derived from normal marrow or CML blood. The expression of DR antigen by normal and CML Bl-CFC was similar but the density of DR antigens on CML d12 GM-CFC and BFU-E was much greater than that of their counterparts from normal marrow. The similarity in DR antigen density on normal and CML Bl-CFC means that purging of CML marrow using a DR-specific antibody would not select in favor of normal cells and thus would not be useful in an autograft setting.

Altered adhesive interactions with marrow stroma of haematopoietic progenitor cells in chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Normal haematopoietic cell regulation involves interaction between marrow stromal cells and haematopoietic progenitor cells which may be facilitated by specific recognition and adhesion. Some leukaemogenic events might produce a selective growth advantage by altering this regulatory network, possibly by diminishing the capacities of cells to adhere to stromal elements. Using an in vitro culture system which allows investigation of adhesion to stromal layers and subsequent colony formation by blast colony-forming cells (B1-CFC) in normal marrow and Ph+ chronic myeloid leukaemic (CML) blood, we compared the adhesive properties of normal and malignant progenitor cells. We present evidence that altered adhesive interactions between primitive progenitor cells and marrow stromal cells occur in CML.

Characterisation of stroma-dependent blast colony-forming cells in human marrow.

Human bone marrow contains a population of haemopoietic progenitor cells that can be distinguished by their ability to adhere to preformed stromal layers (cultured in the presence of methylprednisolone [MP+] and form blast cell colonies. The stromal layers function in the colony assay after they have been heavily irradiated but not after they have been passaged. The binding of the progenitor cells to the stromal cells is complete after 2 hours of coincubation, and stromal layers of 9.6 cm2 can provide adhesion sites for at least 2,000 blast colony-forming cells. The blast colony-forming cells were shown by micromanipulation to self-renew as well as to give rise to multipotential and lineage-committed colony-forming progenitor cells.

Primitive progenitor cells in the blood of patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia.

We measured the number of blast colony-forming cells (Bl-CFC) in the blood of 11 patients with untreated chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL). The culture system used detects three types of Bl-CFC (Types I, II and III) in normal marrow, of which Bl-CFC (I) are the most primitive and might represent the putative hemopoietic stem cell. The mean numbers of Bl-CFC (I) in CGL blood, normal bone marrow and normal blood were 134 +/- 29 (+/- SEM), 127 +/- 21 and 1.5 +/- 0 respectively per 1 X 10(6) mononuclear cells. These findings are consistent with the concept that CGL is due to a primary increase in stem cell numbers with secondary increases in committed progenitor and leukocyte numbers.