Cytokine production by in vitro processed and unprocessed haematopoietic cells

The studies described here demonstrate that in vitro processing of cells be fore extraction of RNA has a major effect on the number and type of cytokin e transcripts present within MDS and leukemia cells, Transcripts for GM-CSF , a cytokine whose production by leukemia cells is believed to play an impo rtant role in the pathogenesis of leukemia, was not detectable in 12/13 unp rocessed AML specimens, in 12/12 MDS specimens, or in 7/7 CML, specimens bu t once detected in many specimens after processing. These data strongly sug gest that leukemia cell production of GMCSF rarely occurs in vivo. (C) 2000 Academic Press.