title: Plasma lactoferrin content in neutropenic patients: effects of treatment with recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
abstract: Plasma lactoferrin content was measured before and after therapy with recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in five patients with aplastic anaemia, six with myelodysplasia, and three with prolonged, severe, chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Before therapy plasma lactoferrin content was uniformly low. However, patients with aplastic anemia and those with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia had a normal lactoferrin:neutrophil ratio. The low levels of plasma lactoferrin thus reflected the low granulocyte mass. On the other hand, patients with myelodysplasia also had reduced lactoferrin:neutrophil ratios, suggesting qualitative/quantitative abnormalities of neutrophil lactoferrin production. After treatment with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, plasma lactoferrin levels increased in patients with aplastic anemia and in those with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia who showed a neutrophil response to treatment. In these patients, the lactoferrin:neutrophil ratio became elevated, suggesting increased synthesis/release of lactoferrin from neutrophils. However, patients with myelodysplasia continued to show depressed lactoferrin:neutrophil ratios, even when there had been an increase in granulocyte count, suggesting persistent abnormalities of neutrophil lactoferrin production/release. The implications of these findings for treatment of neutropenic patients with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bezwoda
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dajee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D007781:Lactoferrin