title: Monocyte-macrophages, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and prolonged survival among patients with acute myeloid leukemia and stem cell transplants.
abstract: Recombinant GM-CSF has been recently shown to prolong survival of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by reducing the rate of induction therapy-related mortality. In a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter study conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group in the United States, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was given only to those patients who had hypocellular or remission marrow on day 10 of one or two cycles of standard induction therapy. Although the administration of GM-CSF significantly reduced a wide range of adverse events, the main benefit of this cytokine seems to be mediated by a reduction in sepsis. A similarly designed study, conducted by the Southwest Oncology Group in a directly comparable AML patient population with use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) as the supportive cytokine, showed no survival benefit and no reduction in the rates of serious or lethal sepsis. In most current clinical situations, GM-CSF and G-CSF are indistinguishable both in terms of efficacy and toxicity. GM-CSF and G-CSF have very different impacts on the survival of patients with AML. The stimulation of monocyte-macrophage function and proliferation by GM-CSF may mediate the selective benefit of GM-CSF in patients with AML and stem cell transplants. GM-CSF merits further study as therapy for and/or protection against opportunistic sepsis in patients with cancer and will be included in a number of International Oncology Study Group protocols.
authors.affiliation: Department of Leukemia, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030-4095, USA.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Giles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor