Detection of TNFα expression in the bone marrow and determination of TNFα production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in myelodysplastic syndrome

摘要

TNFα is a highly active cytokine which plays an important role in the regulation of apoptotic cell death, a mechanism involved in the pathophysiology of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). In this study we investigated the expression of TNFα of the bone marrow trephine biopsies by immunohistochemical method and the TNFα production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by ELISA method in 15 patients affected by MDS. Five of seven patients without excess of blasts showed high or intermediate TNFα expression in the bone marrow biopsies, whereas two patients with excess of blasts were negative and one had low expression. The five CMML patients revealed low or intermediate expression. The production of TNFα by the PBMC was analysed in 10 patients, four patients with RA and two with CMML produced higher level of TNFα which increased after stimulation with phorbol myristic acetate, but none of the RAEB patients revealed increase in TNFα production. In conclusion we suppose that increased TNFα expression and production by PBMC may be an indirect evidence of the role of increased apoptosis in low risk MDS patients.