Frozen sections of 21 gliomas were analysed to characterize inflammatory infiltrating cells, HLA-DR antigen expression and cytokine secretion. Mononuclear cells infiltrating the tumours were mostly macrophages, which were detected in 100% of cases, and expressed HLA-DR antigens. Lymphocytes were less frequently seen and expressed the CD8 phenotype. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), two cytokines mainly produced by activated cells of the macrophage lineage, were demonstrated especially in neoplastic astrocytes. IL-1 beta immunoreactivity was detected in all tumours, and was prevalent in more anaplastic gliomas; IL-6 was found in anaplastic gliomas and in glioblastomas. IL-1 receptors were expressed by both infiltrating macrophages and neoplastic astrocytes in the gliomas analysed. These findings suggest that cytokine production in gliomas seems not related to immune reactions against the tumour and their synthesis by anaplastic astrocytes could follow an unregulated activation of many metabolic processes after neoplastic transformation.

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A number of investigators have reported the detection of circulating autoantibodies directed against serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neuronal antigens in certain neurological clinical conditions. Using an immunohistochemical technique, we examined the sera and (when available) the CSF from 120 patients with several neurological disorders and 40 controls in order to analyze the incidence and specificity of the detection of these autoantibodies. Circulating autoantibodies were found in 3 patients with cerebellar degeneration and in 3 patients with stiff-man syndrome, and different staining patterns were revealed in the same disease. Our findings confirm the reported disease-specificity of the detection of these autoantibodies in biological fluids, suggesting that a standardized immunohistochemical technique could constitute an easy and reproducible diagnostic tool in selected neurological conditions. These procedures enable the identification of an immunological pathogenesis of the disease and, in some case, early cancer detection. When atypical staining patterns of staining are found at immunohistochemistry, Western blot characterization of the recognized neuronal antigens is recommended.