Tumor necrosis factor-alfa production by monocytes from lung and colorectal cancer patients

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a monocyte (MO)-derived cytokine that plays an essential role in the immunological system. In the present study our aim was to evaluate the levels of TNF-alpha secreted by MO from cancer patients. Blood MO were obtained from 10 lung cancer patients (LCP), 10 colorectal cancer patients (CCP) and 10 healthy donors (HD). TNF-alpha levels in MO culture supernatants spontaneously (sp) secreted or after stimulation with LPS treatment were evaluated using a commercial ELISA kit (sensibility: 10-1000 pg/ml). Mean values, expressed as pg/ml were: LCP: sp= 452.6+/-107.2, LPS= 589.5+/-126.7); CCP: sp= 84.1+/-25.0, LPS= 437.3+/-93.2; HD: sp= 74.2+/-21.5, LPS= 573.5+/-87.1. We concluded that MO from LCP secrete high levels of TNF-alpha spontaneously (p< 0.003 versus HD) and it was also observed an absence of response to LPS treatment in the 33% of the cases in these patients.