Activation of the granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor gene in acute myeloid leukaemia cells is not related to gene rearrangement

Several reports have documented that leukaemic blasts produce a number of cytokines among them the granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). We analysed the structure of the gene that codes for GM-CSF in 44 acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cases in an attempt to establish whether the autocrine production of GM-CSF was due to a structural gene alteration. No structural alteration was detected in the GM-CSF gene in any of the 44 cases studied. We, therefore, conclude that the autocrine production of GM-CSF by leukaemia blasts is not dependent on gene rearrangement.