A new fibroblast growth stimulating activity from the human megakaryoblastic leukaemia cell line ELF-153: in vitro and in vivo findings.

Although the exact mechanism for the progression of myelofibrosis in acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia is unclear, certain humoral factors released from the proliferating megakaryoblasts that are unable to store these factors in their defective alpha-granules, including platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblast growth factors (FGF), platelet factor-4 (PF-4), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and beta-thromboglobulin, could result in increased collagen synthesis by bone marrow fibroblasts. Recently, the human megakaryoblastic leukaemia cell line MEG-01 has been shown to produce both TGF-beta and PF-4 which have enhanced the growth of bone marrow fibroblasts. Therefore, we have examined the presence of a fibroblast growth stimulating activity and the humoral factors that might be responsible for it in the supernatant of the human megakaryoblastic leukaemia cell line ELF-153 recently established in our laboratory from a patient with acute myelofibrosis. A new fibroblast growth stimulating activity has been identified in the supernatant of the ELF-153 human megakaryoblastic leukaemia cell line that is independent of the percentage of fetal calf serum in NRK-49F fibroblast agar clonogenic assays and is not due to any of the known fibroblast growth stimulating humoral factors including PDGF, epithelial growth factor, TGF-alpha or beta, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1, 2, 4 or 6, FGF, fibronectin, PF-4 and factor VIII AG. Also, in vivo, subcutaneous injection of ELF-153 megakaryoblastic leukaemia cells into nude mice formed, in three out of the five mice after 6 weeks, subcutaneous tumours with a very rigid texture whose histological examination revealed dense infiltration by blast cells and pronounced reticular fibrosis. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated exclusive deposition of collagen III in the extracellular matrix whereas laminin and collagen IV were absent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)