Generation of dendritic cells from the ventricular fluid in patients with meningeal carcinomatosis.

Mononuclear cells were obtained from the ventricular fluid and peripheral blood in 10 patients with meningeal carcinomatosis (MC). Using GM-CSF, IL-4, tumor necrotizing factor (TNF)-alpha, and CD40L, we could induce mature dendritic cells (DC) (positive for CD45, CD80, CD83, and CD86) from the ventricular fluid in all MC patients. Their DC could enhance the proliferation of the autologous lymphocytes remarkably. Expression of the IL12 p40 was observed in DC generated from seven cases who showed good response to our intrathecal (IT) chemotherapy. These DC also could produce p70 IL-12 over the concentration 20 pg/ml. Thus, DC generated from the ventricular fluid seemed to be useful in the treatments of the MC patients.