“…23,24 (and references therein) Shortly after the CFU-S stem-cell assay became available, 1 a plethora of studies revealed perturbations in the number of circulating stem/progenitor cells (CFUSs) following several empiric treatments (endotoxin, 25,26 proteases, 25,27 vaccines, 28 Epo crude preparations, 29 polymethacrylic acid [PMAA], 25 poly I-C, 29,30 etc). Some of the treatments were interpreted to induce complement activation 31 or to release colony-stimulating factor, 30,32 or were seen as an insult to sinusoidal architecture of BM (ie, endotoxin, enzymes, neutral polysaccharides 25,30,33 ), whereas the mechanisms of other treatments (ie, pertussis vaccine, 28 polyanions, PMAA, 25 or dextran sulfate, 34,35 or after chemotherapy 36,37 ) remained totally obscure. …”