Cytokines released in vitro by stromal cells from autologous bone marrow transplant patients with lymphoid malignancy

: Marrow stromal cells of patients treated by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for malignancies have been assessed for their ability to secrete granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G–CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM–CSF), stem cell factor (SCF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α). Long-term marrow cultures were established from 10 patients prior to and 3 months after ABMT, from 7 patients 1 yr after ABMT and from 11 controls. Cytokines in culture supernatants of stromal layers (SL) were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Significant differences between patient groups and controls were apparent in baseline production of GM–CSF, SCF, MlP-1α and TGFβ1. After IL-1β addition in cultures, G–CSF production was reduced in pretransplant and post-transplant patients compared to controls. The production of TGFβ1, LIF, IL-6 and more particularly SCF were reduced in post-transplant patients, while elevated levels of GM–CSF and MIP-1α were observed in these patients only when the values were corrected for the number of cells growing in the SL. These results indicate a prolonged stromal defect in growth factor production following ABMT for the early-stage acting cytokines IL-6, LIF and SCF as well as for G–CSF, but not for GM–CSF, while the production of the 2 inhibitors shows different pathways.