DOES EOSINOPHILIA PREDICT CLOZAPINE-INDUCED NEUTROPENIA

The atypical antipsychotic clozapine carries a high risk of inducing a granulocytosis. We attempted to investigate whether eosinophilia durin g clozapine treatment has predictive value for subsequent neutropenia/ agranulocytosis. One hundred and seventy-seven patients were studied i n a prospective naturalistic design using haloperidol as the reference compound. Clozapine was found to differ from haloperidol in respect t o their influence on neutrophil granulocytes. In the clozapine group p atients with eosinophilia showed a decrease in neutrophil count (less than 2000/mm(3) neutrophil granulocytes) significantly more often than patients without eosinophilia.