title: Comparison of cytokines in children with recurrent solid tumors treated with intensive chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the relative hematopoietic protective effects of recombinant human interleukin-1alpha (rhuIL-1alpha), recombinant human granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhuGM-CSF), and PIXY321, a genetically engineered fusion protein combining interleukin-3 and rhuGM-CSF, in children with refractory solid tumors after treatment with ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 53 children who had not responded to at least one earlier chemotherapy regimen were enrolled on consecutive trials of ICE chemotherapy alone (n = 14) or with rhuGM-CSF (n = 8), rhuIL-1alpha (n = 10), or PIXY321 (n = 21). The relative hematopoietic effects of these three cytokines were compared retrospectively to each other and to values for patients who received ICE alone. Because one cannot assume that hematopoietic toxicity and response to a given cytokine are independent of the course of chemotherapy, the analysis was restricted to the first treatment course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this retrospective comparison, 1000 microg/m2/day of rhuGM-CSF reduced the median duration of grade 4 neutropenia (<500/microL) from a median of 17 days (range 3 to 34) in children who received ICE alone to 9 days (range 5 to 11, p = 0.003); it appeared to have a beneficial effect on severe thrombocytopenia (<20,000/microL), reducing the median duration from 4.5 days with ICE alone to 3 days (p = 0.08) and the number of platelet transfusions from a median of 5.75 transfusions (range 0 to 13) to 0 in these two cohorts. No significant improvement in these measures was seen with rhuIL-1alpha or PIXY321.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This analysis suggests that 1000 microg/m2/day of rhuGM-CSF has clinically significant effects on platelet recovery and more effectively ameliorates thrombocytopenia and neutropenia than either rhuIL-1alpha or PIXY321 in the context of ICE chemotherapy. Further dose-intensification will require a combination of cytokines; the optimal dose and combination of these agents awaits further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105-2794, USA.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Furman
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marina
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garrison
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor