TREATMENT OF ENTERITIS IN CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS-DISEASE WITH GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR

Background-In several diseases there is a relation between deficiency of neutrophil granulocytes and granulomatous lesions. Recently, in gly cogen storage disease type Ib, this relation has been supported by the beneficial effect of treatment of enteritis with granulocyte-macropha ge colony stimulating factor. Aim-To investigate whether chronic granu lomatous disease could be treated according to the same principle. Pat ients and methods-Inflammatory lesions were monitored in two brothers with chronic granulomatous disease demonstrated by very low superoxide production in neutrophil granulocytes. The two patients were treated with recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor on three occasions when the disease was active. Results-In one patient, remissi on of an inflamed stenosis of the colon sigmoideum was shown by granul ocyte scintigraphy after one month of treatment with granulocyte colon y stimulating factor. In the other patient, remission of colon disease and later of a non-malignant tumour in the right lung hilum was shown by colonoscopy and computed tomography scans respectively. Conclusion -Remission of inflammatory lesions in two brothers with chronic granul omatous disease was induced by granulocyte colony stimulating factor o n three occasions. The mechanism for this effect is not known. The res ult is similar to the response found in patients with leucocyte defici ency due to glycogen storage disease type Ib.