EFFECTS OF RHG-CSF ON INFECTION COMPLICATIONS AND IMPAIRED FUNCTION OF NEUTROPHILS SECONDARY TO CHEMOTHERAPY FOR NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

It has been previously demonstrated that the administration of recombi nant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rhc-CSF) ameliorates the decrease of the polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) count after the cytotoxic chemotherapies, thereby reducing the infection complicat ions associated with neutropenia. In this multi-center study, we studi ed the prophylaxtic effect of rhG-CSF administration on infection comp lications in patients with non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma, who receive d cytotoxic chemotherapies (CHOP or ProMACE/CytaBOM). rhG-CSF administ ration reduced the frequency of infection complications, and there was no obvious difference in it's frequency between the CHOP-treated and the ProMACE/CytaBOM-treated groups when administered with rhG-CSF, the reby indicating that third generation therapy for NHL may be safely co mpleted in Japanese in combination with rhG-CSF administration. Furthe rmore, we investigated both the in vitro and the in vivo effects of rh G-CSF on the function of PMNs In patients with NHL and healthy donors, and revealed that the administration of rhG-CSF for NHL patients rece iving cytotoxic chemotherapy brought on an improvement of the producti on of active oxygen but did not affect serum levels of IFNs, IL-1-beta , and IL-6, inspite of a slight elevation of TNF-alpha. Consistent wit h these results, in vitro treatment of PMNs with rhG-CSF induced no si gnificant production of these inflammatory cytokines and their mRNA ex pressions. Furthermore, rhG-CSF administration showed no significant e ffects in vivo on the expression of CD11a, CD11b and LECAM-1 on PMNs a nd integrins on platelets.