Abnormal sensitivity to erythropoietin in the erythroblast precursors in Vaquez disease]

Marrow specimens of patients with polycythemia vera rise to erythrocytic colonies in vitro without addition of erythropoietin to the culture. This behavior was never observed with marrow cells of normal subjects or secondary erythrocytosis. These results indicate that the sensitivity of some erythrocytic progenitor cells to erythropoietin is altered in polycythemia vera.