Megakaryocyte precursors (pro- and megakaryoblasts) in bone marrow tissue from patients with reactive thrombocytosis, polycythemia vera and primary (essential) thrombocythemia. An immunomorphometric study.

To determine the number of megakaryocyte precursors (pro- and megakaryoblasts), an immunomorphometric study was performed on paraffin-embedded trephine biopsies of the bone marrow using a monoclonal antibody against platelet glycoprotein IIIa. Eighteen control specimens from patients with no evidence of any hematological disorder and a normal platelet count were selected and assessed together with the same number of specimens from patients with reactive thrombocytosis, polycythemia vera rubra (P. vera) or primary (essential) thrombocythemia (PTH). A strikingly proportionate increase in early megakaryocytes occurred in all patients enrolled in this study, compared with the controls. Moreover, there were no significant correlations between counts for precursors or total megakaryocytes per square millimeter of bone marrow with the corresponding values for platelets. This indicates that despite an orderly increase in immature forms in the bone marrow, the number of platelets circulating in the blood is influenced by other additional factors, such as the expanded platelet pool in the enlarged spleen. The non-disproportionate expansion of megakaryocyte precursors extends previous findings on progenitor cells of this lineage in vitro, particularly in PTH. Histological evaluation of the bone marrow of patients with P. vera and PTH indicated that megakaryopoiesis proceeded to the production of appropriate mature forms with no obvious excess of very small or blastic elements.