Myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia ("M)is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by clonal expansion of hematopoiesis and marrow fibrosis. Previous results from our group have shown an increased production of t w o potent fibrogenic factors also involved in the regulation of primitive hematopoietic cells, namely transforming growth factor-p1 (TGF-p1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), in patients with MMM. It is likely t o assume that the myeloproliferation characteristic of this disease may result from an abnormal proliferation of CD34' hematopoietic progenitors. Thus, we were particularly concerned in studying the gene and protein expression of these cytokines and their receptors in CD34+ progenitors purified from the peripheral blood of MMM patients by using semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunolabeling methods. Our data showed that the expression of TGF-

Hematopoiesis is orchestrated by interactions between hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) and stromal cells within bone marrow (BM) niches. Side population (SP) functionality is a major characteristic of HSPCs related to quiescence and resistance to drugs and environmental stresses. At steady state, SP cells are mainly present in the BM and are mostly absent from the circulation except in stress conditions, raising the hypothesis of the versatility of the SP functionality. However, the mechanism of SP phenotype regulation is unclear. Here we show for the first time that the SP functionality can be induced in lin(-) cells from unmobilized peripheral blood after nesting on mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). This MSC-induced SP fraction contains HSPCs as demonstrated by their (i) CD34(+) cell percentage, (ii) quiescent status, (iii) in vitro proliferative and clonogenic potential, (iv) engraftment in NSG (NOD SCID gamma chain) mice and (v) stemness gene expression profile. We demonstrate that SP phenotype acquisition/reactivation by circulating lin(-) cells is dependent on interactions with MSCs through VLA-4/α4β1-integrin and CD44. A similar integrin-dependent mechanism of SP phenotype acquisition in acute myeloid leukemia circulating blasts suggests an extrinsic regulation of ATP-binding cassette-transporter activity that could be of importance for a better understanding of adhesion-mediated chemoresistance mechanisms.

The murine myeloproliferative syndrome induced by the myeloproliferative sarcoma virus (MPSV) has numerous similarities to human primary myelofibrosis. We have shown that medium conditioned by spleen cells of MPSV-infected mice has the capacity to support the growth of primitive blast cell colonies. The detection of this activity associated with MPSV infection stimulated us to characterize the hematopoietins responsible for this activity. Northern blot analysis showed a large increase, or induction, of interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), macrophage- CSF (CSF-1), and granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF) transcripts in the hematopoietic organs of MPSV-infected mice; however, no IL-3 transcript could be detected in either MPSV-infected or normal mice. Significant levels of IL-1 alpha, IL-6, G-CSF, and CSF-1 bioactivities were found in the serum of MPSV-infected mice, but not in controls. Additionally, analysis of medium conditioned by spleen cells of MPSV-infected mice showed the presence of tumor necrosis factor alpha bioactivity. The increased production of cytokines that are able to stimulate pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells corroborates the hypothesis of a possible involvement of hematopoietic growth factors in the development of some myeloproliferative disorders.