Production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor by head and neck carcinomas.

Detectable levels of G-CSF by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were found in sera of 4 out of 15 patients with head and neck carcinomas. Also cells prepared from the tumors of these 4 patients secreted G-CSF. The supernatants of cells derived from all 15 patients did not contain granulocyte-monocyte CSF, monocyte CSF, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, transforming growth factor-beta 1, epidermal growth factor, interleukin (IL)-1 beta and IL-6. These findings suggest that leukocytosis in patients with carcinomas might be due to the production of G-CSF by tumor cells.