Interferon-alpha induces apoptosis, resulting in reduced cellularity, expansion of normal erythropoiesis with increased ironladen histiocytes and reticulum cells. Busalfan promotes myelofibrosis while hydroxyurea prevents it in a significant number of patients. In a study on 363 BMBs taken sequentially before and after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, there was a significant correlation of marrow fibrosis, CD61+ cells and peripheral blood platelet counts with delayed haemopoietic reconstitution and leukemic relapse. Apart from assessing cellularity and fiber content, the BMB is also suitable for immunohistochemisty (angiogenesis, apoptosis, proliferation indices) and morphometric studies as well as Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridization (FISH). Application of FISH to paraffin sections for demonstrating bcr/abl in intact cells, though not recommended for diagnosis, has been used as an adjunct to cytogenetic studies and to demonstrate the common stem cell origin of the CML clone. FISH for bcr/abl on BMBs was also found to be useful to monitor therapeutic efficacy of Imatinib. The BMB remains a valuable investigation in CML, both for the wealth of prognostic information conveyed as well as its usefulness in investigating scientific queries.
Tejinde Gaurey, A General View on Bone Marrow Research
Last date updated on April, 2024
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