PRODUCTION OF GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR BY HEAD AND NECK CARCINOMAS

Detectable levels of G-CSF by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA ) were found in sera of 4 out of 15 patients with head and neck carcin omas. Also cells prepared from the tumors of these 4 patients secreted G-CSF. The supernatants of cells derived from all 15 patients did not contain granulocyte-monocyte CSF, monocyte CSF, tumor necrosis factor -alpha, transforming growth factor-beta1, epidermal growth factor, int erleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-6. These findings suggest that leukocytosis in patients with carcinomas might be due to the production of G-CSF b y tumor cells.