Autonomous erythropoiesis during erythroblastic crisis of chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Two patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia who developed an erythroblastic rather than a myeloblastic phase were studied with respect to whether or not the megaloblastic erythropoiesis was subject to normal control mechanisms. After transfusion, no significant reduction was observed in the percentage of nucleated erythroid precursors or of proerythroblasts in marrow or in blood reticulocytes. In one of the two patients, ferrokinetics and urinary erythropoietin levels were studied and were also compatible with the conclusions that erythropoiesis was autonomous in this rare syndrome. Three patients with clinical pictures compatible with Di Guglielmo's syndrome were studied as controls. As has been reported previously, erythropoiesis in this syndrome appeared to be responsive to normal control mechanisms. These data suggest that these two clinically similar syndromes, erythroblastic crisis of chronic myelocytic leukemia and Di Guglielmo's syndrome may represent qualitatively different defects in hematopoietic stem cells.