Increase in lymphocyte subsets following treatment of HIV-associated neutropenia with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.
Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been used to treat neutropenia in patients with cancer and HIV disease. Since lymphocyte counts have been reported to increase with G-CSF therapy, we studied the effect of G-CSF on lymphocyte subsets in HIV-infected patients. Six patients with HIV-associated neutropenia were treated with G-CSF and had significant increases in white blood cell counts. G-CSF induced a significant rise in total lymphocytes, total T-cells, CD8 T-cells, and natural killer cells. A smaller but statistically significant increase in CD4 T-cells and cytotoxic CD8 T-cells was also noted. We conclude that G-CSF has the ability to raise lymphocyte subset levels in patients with HIV disease. The potential immunologic benefit of G-CSF therapy merits further investigation.
Stricker
R B
RB
HemaCare Corporation, San Francisco, California 94108, USA.
Goldberg
B
B
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor