POSSIBLE ROLE OF GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (GM-CSF) ON THE RAPID PROGRESSION OF AIDS-RELATED KAPOSIS-SARCOMA LESIONSIN-VIVO

Drug-related neutropenia is a common observation in AIDS patients. Hae matological growth factors are therefore increasingly used in combinat ion with myelotoxic agents to reduce the risk of infection and to impr ove the haematological tolerance of these regimens. We report a case o f an AIDS patient with Kaposi's sarcoma who received GM-CSF for severe neutropenia due to antitumour chemotherapy combining alpha-interferon 2b and zidovudine. During GM-CSF administration there was a marked in crease in the size of the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions as confirmed by ult rasonographic examination. As GM-CSF in vitro has been shown to promot e Kaposi's sarcoma-like cell cultures, we discuss the potential role o f this growth factor in increasing Kaposi's sarcoma lesions in vivo.