Determination of the proliferative fractions in differntiating hematopoietic cell lineages of normal bone marrow

Because of the proven prognostic value of Ki-67 as proliferation marker in several types of solid cancer, our goal is to develop and validate a multiparameter flow cytometric assay for the determination of the Ki-67 expression in hemato-oncological diseases. The aim of the present study was to establish the reference values for the fraction of Ki-67 positive cells in and during maturation of the individual hematopoietic cell lineages present in normal bone marrow. Aspirates derived from femoral heads of 50 patients undergoing a hip replacement were used for the flow cytometric quantification of Ki-67 expression in the different hematopoietic cell populations of healthy bone marrow. Furthermore, the proliferative index was investigated in detail for the maturation steps during erythro-, myelo- and monopoiesis using recently described immunophenotypic profiles in combination with a software based maturation tool. Reference values for the proliferative index were established for the different relevant hematopoietic cell populations in healthy bone marrow. During maturation the size of the Ki-67 positive fraction was highest in the most immature compartment of the myeloid, monocytic and erythroid cell lineages, followed by a steady decline upon cell maturation. While proerythroblasts showed a proliferative activity of almost 100%, the myelo- and monoblast showed a lower proliferative index of on average 50%, indicating that a relatively large proportion of these cells exist in a quiescent state.
Conclusion:
In conclusion we can state that when using a novel combination of immunophenotypic markers, the proliferation marker Ki-67, and a software based maturation tool, it was possible to determine the proliferative fractions in the diverse hematopoietic cell lineages in bone marrow, in particular during maturation. Using this approach the proliferative indices for the normal myelo-, mono- and erythropoiesis were determined, which can be used as a reference in future studies of hematologic malignancies originating from bone marrow.