Expression of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene in acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) was assayed by Northern blot analysis. GM-CSF messenger RNA (mRNA) was detected in the freshly obtained mononuclear cells of only one of 48 cases of AML, in contrast with recent reports that GM-CSF mRNA might be detected in half of the cases of AML when RNA is prepared from T-cell- and monocyte-depleted leukemic cells. We did find, however, that expression of the GM-CSF gene was detectable in five of ten cases after in vitro T-cell and monocyte depletion steps. Additional studies suggest that expression of GM-CSF in the bone marrow of the one positive case, rather than being autonomous, was under exogenous control, possibly by a paracrine factor secreted by marrow stromal cells. These studies emphasize the potential for altering in vivo patterns of gene expression by in vitro cell manipulation.