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M Faisal, W Cumberland, R Champlin and JL Fahey
Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Immunology and Disease, UCLA
School of Medicine.
Human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor
(rhGM-CSF) was administered to 14 patients with refractory aplastic anemia
(AA). The effect of rhGM-CSF therapy on the lymphocyte phenotype; on the
proliferative responses to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin, Candida
albicans, and tetanus toxoid antigens; and on the natural killer (NK)
activity of the circulating lymphocytes was studied. Samples were collected
before (baseline) and twice during the rhGM-CSF administration. The
absolute number of circulating lymphocytes remained relatively constant
during the first period, but experienced a significant increase (P less
than .001) during the second period. The increase was most prominent in the
B cells (P less than .001), but the T cells (P less than .016) also
increased. Detailed investigation of lymphocyte subsets showed an increase
of the markers CD38 (Leu17), HLA- DR, and the transferrin receptor
throughout the treatment course giving evidence of lymphoid cell
activation. The NK cell activity was suppressed (P less than .008)
throughout the treatment. However, proliferative responses to
phytohemagglutinin, Candida antigen, and tetanus toxoid were unaffected.
Although the mechanism is not yet defined, GM-CSF does induce activation
and increase in absolute lymphoid cell number, especially B cells, together
with a decrease in NK cytotoxicity. The implication of these immune cell
changes in relation to host resistance to microorganisms remains to be
established.
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| Copyright © 1990 by American Society of Hematology Online ISSN: 1528-0020 | |||||||||