title: [Growth factors in therapy of life threatening leukopenia].
abstract: We have tested granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating-factor (rhGM-CSF, fully glycosylated, Sandoz, Schering/Plough) in 40 patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. The drug enhanced leukocyte recovery in 5 different dose levels (2-32 micrograms/kg body weight) if given by continuous intravenous infusion or subcutaneously for 5 days. Patients who received rhGM-CSF during neutropenic infections (n = 32) survived significantly better if they recovered leukocytes to at least 1.5 x 10(9)/l. In patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and excess of blasts (n = 82) remission could be induced in nearly 50% if the drug was given together with low dose cytosine arabinoside (LD-AraC). The results of these phase-II-studies show that rhGM-CSF is a safe drug which may save many patients from life-threatening situations during haematopoietic insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Med. Klinik III, Univ. München.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gerhartz
mesh_terms: D003561:Cytarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000628:therapy; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000628:therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003561:Cytarabine; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
vernacular_title: Wachstumsfaktoren in der Therapie lebensbedrohlicher Leukopenien.