Plasma levels and production of soluble stem cell factor by marrow stromal cells in patients with aplastic anaemia

Defective marrow stroma or microenvironment have been proposed as one of several mechanisms to account for bone marrow failure in aplastic anaemia (AA). Stem cell factor (SCF), the ligand for the c-kit receptor, is produced mainly by marrow stromal cells and seems to reflect the haemopoietic function of bone marrow stroma. We measured the plasma levels of soluble SCF in 87 patients with AA and investigated the production of soluble SCF by the marrow stromal cells of 46 patients with acquired AA. The mean plasma SCF concentrations in the AA patients and normal controls were not significantly different (1098 ± 398 pg/ml versus 1160 ± 316 pg/ml, respectively), and there was no significant correlation between the peripheral blood counts and the SCF concentrations. However, the mean SCF concentration in patients who received prednisolone ± anabolic steroids at the time of sampling was significantly lower than that in the patients who did not receive both agents. We did not find any correlation between the changes in SCF concentrations and the response to immunosuppressive therapy, although it did increase significantly after bone marrow transplantation. The ability of marrow stromal cells to release soluble SCF did not differ significantly between the patients with AA and normal controls. We conclude that soluble SCF production does not appear to be altered in patients with AA and that defective production of soluble SCF is unlikely to be the cause of AA in most patients.