Effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on neutrophil function in vitro and in vivo following chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rG-CSF) primed the ability of human neutrophils to generate increased levels of reactive oxidants in response to fMet-Leu-Phe, and also resulted in an increased rate of protein biosynthesis which was similar to that induced by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. However, rG-CSF reduced the chemotactic activity of neutrophils in response to endotoxin and did not result in an enhanced rate of killing of Staphylococcus aureus. rG-CSF was administered to patients after high dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of either Hodgkin's disease or multiple myeloma. This cytokine decreased the period of neutropenia following such treatment. Neutrophil function in two patients, measured seven days after the final administration of rG-CSF, was severely impaired as indicated by a greatly decreased ability to generate reactive oxidants. However, seven days later (i.e. 14 days post-therapy), the functional activity of the neutrophils from these patients had returned to normal. These data indicate that assays of neutrophil function together with morphological assessment of neutrophil numbers and maturity should be performed in order to evaluate the immune status of patients undergoing such therapy.