Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptors on CD34++ cells in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and MDS-acute myeloid leukemia

We studied surface expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (G-CSFR) on CD34⁺⁺ progenitor cells of myelodysplastic patients. Late stages of disease showed a higher proportion of high or low G-CSFR expression than early stages. Most of the patients with the low expression had neutropenia. Neutropenia was relatively less present in the normal group, but it reappeared in the high group. All the neutropenic patients in the high group showed response to G-CSF, while response in the normal group was minor. These findings suggest that lowered expression of G-CSFR leads to neutropenia in myelodysplastic patients. This article reviewed the knowledge of the G-CSFR and its role in the disorders of granulopoiesis, including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).