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Nov 2011 Blood

Blood CD34-c-Kit+ cell rate correlates with aggressive forms of systemic mastocytosis and behaves like a mast cell precursor.

Authors

Georgin-Lavialle S, Lhermitte L, Baude C, Barete S, Bruneau J, Chandesris MO, Hanssens K, de Gennes C, Damaj G, Lanternier F, Hamidou M, Lortholary O, Dubreuil P, Feger F, Lepelletier Y, Hermine O

Summary

Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous disease characterized by the accumulation of mast cells in one or more organs. Our objective was to identify a peripheral mast cell precursor and assess its variation rate in mastocytosis. A peripheral blood phenotypic analysis was performed among 50 patients with mastocytosis who were enrolled in a prospective multicentric French study, and the phenotypic analysis results of the patients were compared with those of healthy donors. The rate of peripheral blood CD34(-)c-Kit(+) cells correlated with the severity of mastocytosis. This cellular population was isolated from healthy donors as well as from patients with systemic mastocytosis. After 30 days of culture, the CD34(-)c-Kit(+) cells gave birth to mature mast cells, indicating that this cellular population constitutes a mast cell circulating precursor. Monitoring peripheral CD34(-)c-Kit(+) cells by flow cytometry could be a useful and low-invasive tool to determine the disease severity and the relapses and to assess treatment efficiency.

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