This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nason-Burchenal, K. Articles by Wolff, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nason-Burchenal, K. Articles by Wolff, L.

Involvement of the Spleen in Preleukemic Development of a Murine Retrovirus-induced Promonocytic Leukemia

Biology Department, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064 [K. N-B.], and the Laboratory of Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 [L. W.]

An acute myeloid leukemia can result from the inoculation of Moloney murine leukemia virus into BALB/c mice undergoing a 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane-induced chronic inflammatory response in the peritoneal cavity. This leukemia is ultimately observed in the peritoneal cavity as an ascites with cells infiltrating the granulomatous tissue. It has been proposed, however, that hematopoletic organs such as the spleen and bone marrow are involved in preleukemic development of Moloney murine leukemia. Therefore, to determine if the spleen plays a role in this development, mice were splenectomized at various times relative to virus inoculation. When splenectomies were performed 3 days before and 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after virus inoculation there was, in all cases, a decreased death rate compared to sham-splenectomized controls. The greatest difference in death rate due to promonocytic leukemia was observed when mice were splenectomized at 4 weeks after virus inoculation. The decrease in disease incidence observed as a result of splenectomy was not caused by decreased virus spread in hematopoietic organs or an alteration in the profile of the cellular infiltrate in the granuloma. It was found, however, that the spleens of 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane-treated mice, relative to those of normal mice, have a significantly increased number of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells and a slightly increased number of multipotential colony-forming cells. These observations suggest that a population of target cells for transformation, consisting of granulocyte-macrophage precursor cells, may reside in the spleen. Alternatively, partially transformed cells may reside temporarily in the spleen during the developmental stages of the disease process.

¹ Present address: Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Building 37, Room 2B04, Laboratory of Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Received 4/27/92. Accepted 7/27/92.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Barosi Myelofibrosis With Myeloid Metaplasia: Diagnostic Definition and Prognostic Classification for Clinical Studies and Treatment Guidelines J. Clin. Oncol., September 1, 1999; 17(9): 2954 - 2954. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Barosi, A. Ambrosetti, A. Centra, A. Falcone, C. Finelli, P. Foa, A. Grossi, R. Guarnone, S. Rupoli, L. Luciano, et al. Splenectomy and Risk of Blast Transformation in Myelofibrosis With Myeloid Metaplasia Blood, May 15, 1998; 91(10): 3630 - 3636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]