The effect of granulocyte colony stimulating factor on neutrophil functions in children with neutropenia after chemotherapy in the course of neoplasma.

PURPOSE Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor stimulates proliferation and maturation of granulocyte precursor cells. The influence of this hematopoietic factor on phagocytic function of granulocytes was performed in in vitro experiments. The aim was to find, whether G-CSF applicated to children with neutropenia after chemotherapy influences phagocytic functions of neutrophils and whether evaluated parameters depend on a time of G-CSF injection? MATERIAL AND METHODS The investigation was conducted on a group of 26 children with cancer, treated with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in the cause of neutropenia after chemotherapy. The control group included 29 healthy children. The blood was taken before the stimulator injection and after 2 and 5 granulocyte-colony stimulating factor injections. The percentage of phagocyting cells and the phagocytic index of granulocytes were determined in heparinized whole blood samples. Oxygen metabolism was evaluated in the absence and presence endotoxin by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction. RESULTS It was found that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor activates phagocytic functions of neutrophils by normalizing low values of phagocytic index and number of granulocytes, reducing dye nitroblue tetrazolium reduction and increasing the number of phagocytic cells. CONCLUSION Based on obtained results we can conclude that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor apart from granulopoiesis stimulation can also increase phagocytic and oxidative capacity of granulocytes after chemotherapy.