title: Successful treatment of chronic severe neutropenia with weekly recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.
abstract: Daily treatment for symptomatic chronic neutropenia with recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) filgrastim is costly and sometimes causes neutrophillia. We report the use of weekly filgrastim in a 40-year-old man with life-long symptomatic neutropenia. Baseline neutrophil counts were < 1 x 10(9)/l 60% of the time, and fell below 0.5 x 10(9)/l for 7d periods every 22 d. Following 1 year of weekly filgrastim treatment, the absolute neutrophil count was maintained > 1 x 10(9)/l (averaging 2 x 10(9)/l) and the frequency and severity of symptoms were reduced by 85%. Therefore the benefits of filgrastim for the treatment of at least one form of chronic severe neutropenia can be derived from weekly rather than daily doses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75246, U.S.A.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D000069585:Filgrastim; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000628:therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D000069585:Filgrastim