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Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor activity in cerebrospinal fluid
A Leonardi1, S Penco, C Gramigni
1Department of Neurology, University of Genova, Italy.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to analyse the presence of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in human cerebrospinal fluid (SF) of patients affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) in comparison with non-inflammatory neurological diseases.
Material And Methods:
All SFs were collected from 59 patients for diagnostic purpose. The presence of GM-CSF was revealed by measuring its activity and by immunoassay. The data obtained were statistically evaluated.
Results:
We found that GM-CSF is constitutively present in human SF; this presence was confirmed by its stimulating activity of colony-forming-unit granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) production. No significant changes of the GM-CSF concentration in the SFs were observed among different neurological disorders (degenerative or vascular) and MS.
Conclusion:
Our data suggest that GM-CSF is a constitutive component of human SF, relatively uninfluenced by the different morbid conditions of the nervous system.