Interleukin-8 (LL-8) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) are cytokines/hematopoietic growth factor and are important mediators of inflammation and immune resoponse producing pathophysiological changes in human disease. Levels of IL-8 and GM-CSF in circulation of various hematologic diseases are unknown. To demonstrate their importance in lymphoproliferative disorders, we have measured the circulating levels of these two cytokines from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD). IL-8 and GM-CSF levels were determined by highly specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. IL-8 levels were elevated in most patients with B-cell malignancies, B-cell CLL (B-CLL) and B-cell NHL (B-NHL) as well as in patients with HD. However, GM-CSF levels were higher in most patients with NHL (T-NHL and B-NHL) and HD. IL-8 was undetectable in T-cell malignancies (T-CLL and T-NHL), whereas GMCSF was undetectable from CLL (T-CLL and B-CLL). Of interest, IL-8 levels were correlated with white blood cell counts (WBC) in B-cell malignancies (B-CLL and B-NHL) but not in HD. These results suggest that both IL-8 and GMCSF may play an important role in pathophysiological changes in B-NHL and HD. IL-8 may be related with recruitment and activation of neutrophils, whereas, GM-CSF in proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and immune response in these malignancies. The clinical status of B-CLL patients in regards to WBC counts appeared to be associated with the serum levels of IL-8.

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