IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA IN INFILTRATING TUMOR-CELLS IN THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID FROM 5 PATIENTS WITH LEPTOMENINGEAL CARCINOMATOSIS

We studied the immunoreactivity for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a lpha) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cell smears from five patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC). Immunostained TNF-alpha-positive tumor cells had brownish deposits in the cytoplasm, but no deposits we re observed in the nucleus. The intensity of the TNF-alpha staining wa s greater in these tumor cells than in macrophages from patients with inflammatory diseases. Approximately 27-72% of the tumor cells were fo und to be TNF-alpha immunoreactive in all five samples from the patien t with LC. These results suggest that the large amount of TNF-alpha pr oduced by infiltrating tumor cells may play an important role in the d evelopment of the tumor.