Interacting populations affecting proliferation of leukemic cells in culture.

Peripheral blood cells from three patients with acute leukemic have been studied using a suspension culture method previously described.1 Cytogenetic studies in two of the patients permitted the identification of the proliferating cells in the cultures as being derived from a leukemic population. Cell separation studies using velocity sedimentation supported the concept that growth of the leukemic cells in culture is dependent on an interaction between two populations of leukemic cells.