a-MEM          =          Alpha minimal essential medium

ATRA         =          all-trans retinoic acid

BCC          =          Burst-component colony(-ies)

BFU-E         =          Burst-forming unit, erythroid

BM          =         bone marrow

BPA           =         Burst-promoting activity

BSA          =         Bovine serum albumin

CFU-E          =         Colony-forming unit, erythroid

CFU-GEMM          =         Colony-forming unit, granulocyte/erythroid/monocyte and mast cell

CM          =         Conditioned medium

EBV          =         Epstein Barr Virus

EEB          =         Endogenous erythroid burst(s)

EEC           =         Endogenous erythroid colony(-ies)

EPA          =         Erythroid potentiating activity

Epo           =         Erythropoietin

FAF/GF BSA           =         Fatty acid-free and globulin-free BSA

FBS          =         Fetal bovine serum

FCS          =         Fetal calf serum

FGF         =         Fibroblast growth factor

FLC           =         Fetal liver cells

Fr V BSA          =         Cohn's Fraction V BSA

GF          =         Growth factor(s)

GH         =         Growth Hormone

GM-CSF         =         Granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor

HbF          =         Fetal hemoglobin

HSA           =         Human serum albumin

IGF-I          =         Insulin-like growth factor I

IGF-II          =         Insulin-like growth factor II

IL-3           =         Interleukin-3

IL-4          =         Interleukin-4

IL-9          =          Interleukin-9

IMDM          =         Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium

KL         =         c-Kit ligand = SCF = MGF

LCM          =         Leukocyte conditioned medium

MGF          =         Mast cell growth-factor = SCF

MNC           =         mononuclear cells

NA          =         Non-adherent (cell preparations)

PB          =         Peripheral blood

PV          =         Polycythemia vera

PVSG         =         Polycythemia vera Study Group

PWSCM                   =         Pokeweed-stimulated spleen-cell conditioned medium

RA           =         Retinyl acetate

RBC          =         Red blood cell

rHu          =         Recombinant Human (growth factor)

SC medium          =         Serum-containing medium

SCF           =         Stem cell factor, the c-kit ligand

SD medium          =         serum-deprived medium, or "serum-free"

SEM          =         Standard error of the mean

SF medium          =         serum-free medium

"SF" medium          =         "serum-free" medium = SD medium

TGF-ß           =         Transforming growth factor-beta