GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR AND INTERLEUKIN-1 INCREASE IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID, BUT NOT IN SERUM, OF HTLV-I-ASSOCIATED MYELOPATHY

Based on our previous finding of elevated interferon-gamma levels in t he cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), but not in serum, of HTLV-I-associated m yelopathy (HAM), we assayed serum and CSF levels of granulocyte-macrop hage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumo r necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in 20 HAM. GM-CSF and IL-1 also in creased only in the CSF in 75% and 35%, respectively, of 20 HAM. TNF-a lpha was not detected in any of the sera and CSFs. Multiple cytokines may be produced in the central nervous system and play an important ro le in HAM.