title: Effect of high-dose methylprednisolone and G-CSF treatments on lymphocyte subtypes in neutropenic children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a pilot study.
abstract: Treatment of neutropenia with corticosteroids and hemopoietic growth factors may cause alterations in the immune system. This study investigated and compared the effects of various regimens (HDMP, G-CSF, and G-CSF + HDMP) on total lymphocyte counts and subtypes in neutropenic patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Lymphocyte subtypes were studied just prior to treatment and 1 week later. In the HDMP group, total lymphocyte counts and the numbers of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ lymphocytes and monocytes increased, while the helper/suppressor lymphocyte ratio decreased. No significant changes were seen in lymphocyte subtypes in the G-CSF and G-CSF + HDMP groups, apart from an increase in total lymphocyte numbers. In the control group there was an increase in the number of CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes and a decrease in the helper/suppressor lymphocyte ratio. These results suggest that HDMP has an inducing, rather than a suppressive effect on all lymphocyte subtypes studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey. nozbek@neuron.ato.org.tr
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ozbek
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yetgin
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tuncer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015703:Antigens, CD; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015703:Antigens, CD; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D008775:Methylprednisolone