title: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administered in vivo augments neutrophil-mediated activity against opportunistic fungal pathogens.
abstract: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) not only increases neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocyte, PMNL) production but also modulates PMNL biologic function. To assess the ability of G-CSF administered in vivo to enhance PMNL activity against opportunistic fungal pathogens, the antifungal activity of PMNL obtained from normal human volunteers before and after G-CSF administration was compared. In vivo, G-CSF significantly enhanced PMNL-mediated killing of Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizopus arrhizus by 4-fold and 15-fold, respectively (P < .05). In contrast, PMNL-mediated killing of Candida albicans was unaffected by G-CSF. The ability of aqueous fungal extracts to induce the PMNL respiratory burst was evaluated by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. G-CSF in vivo primed PMNL for sustained chemiluminescence in response to extracts of Candida, Aspergillus, and Rhizopus organisms. These data demonstrate that G-CSF in vivo augments antifungal activities of PMNL, thereby implicating a possible therapeutic role for G-CSF as a biologic response-modifying agent during opportunistic fungal infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Liles
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: van Burik
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Dale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000276:immunology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology*; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D012233:Rhizopus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor