The possibility that production of some cytokines in the carcinoma microenvironment is associated with the presence and differentiation of cells belonging to the dendritic cell (DC)/Langerhans' cell (LC) lineage was investigated. Immunohistochemical examination showed the presence of intraepithelial LCs (CD1a- and S100-positive cells) in 6 of 10 squamous cell carcinomas and in 8 of 10 adenocarcinomas. Langerhans' cells were mainly located close to lymphoid aggregates. In situ hybridization performed in four cases (three LC positive and one LC negative) of squamous cell carcinoma and in five cases (four LC positive and one LC negative) of adenocarcinoma showed that some mononuclear cells in the interstitium displayed hybridization with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), and interleukin 1-beta (IL1 beta) cDNA probes. Only in LC-positive carcinomas did epithelial cells close to lymphoid aggregates display small amounts of GM-CSF and TNF alpha mRNA expression. Immunohistochemical analysis performed in the 20 cases of lung carcinoma showed that epithelial cells in tumors with lymphoid aggregates and LCs were immunoreactive with antihuman GM-CSF monoclonal antibody. Specimens negative for GM-CSF contained very few LCs. Northern blot analysis was used to investigate GM-CSF, TNF alpha, IL1 alpha, and IL1 beta mRNA expression in six human lung carcinoma cell lines. A constitutive expression of TNF alpha mRNA was found in all of them, whereas only three showed a low constitutive expression of GM-CSF mRNA. In the latter three cell lines treatment with phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) supernatant (PHA-SUP) upregulated GM-CSF mRNA expression and induced that of IL1 alpha mRNA. Carcinomatous epithelial cells producing small amounts of cytokines could promote the recruitment of cells of DC/LC lineage. Subcellular factors produced by reactive lymphocytes and/or macrophages may influence the production of GM-CSF and IL1 alpha by various epithelia. Up-regulation of this production could favor the arrival and differentiation of DCs and activate LC functions.