PRODUCTION OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR AND GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR BY BONE-MARROW ACCESSORY CELLS IN MYELODYSPLASTIC PATIENTS

This paper reports on the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) an d granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by culture d mononuclear adherent cells derived from bone marrow of 25 patients a ffected by myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) of different FAB subtypes. M ean production of GM-CSF was much lower than in controls, without sign ificant differences among different subtypes. Mean production of TNF w as similar in MDS patients and in controls, but noteworthy differences were observed between patients with RA, RAEB and RAEB-t and patients with RARS and CMML. Growth of bone marrow granulocyte macrophage and e rythroid progenitors did not correlate with TNF and GM-CSF production, although in MDS subtypes with higher GM-CSF levels, colony growth was slightly higher than in subtypes with lower GM-CSF production.