Aplastic anemia associated with in vitro inhibition of erythropoiesis by bone marrow-adherent cells.

A patient with aplastic anemia that evolved following pure red cell aplasia is described. Cultures of the patient's marrow cells revealed greatly reduced numbers of primitive (BFU-E) and relatively mature (CFU-E) erythroid progenitors, but normal numbers of multipotential (CFU-GEMM) precursors. The BFU-E/CFU-GEMM and CFU-E/BFU-E ratios in the patient's marrow cell cultures were also reduced. T cell- or antibody-mediated inhibition of in vitro erythropoiesis could not be demonstrated in this patient. However, the patient's marrow-adherent cells suppressed the growth of autologous and allogeneic BFU-E and CFU-E, without influencing the growth of CFU-GEMM. Medium conditioned by the patient's adherent cells failed to inhibit the growth of normal erythroid precursors. Our findings suggest a role for marrow-adherent cells in the pathogenesis of aplastic anemia in this patient.