These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy is associated with a reduced incidence of acute rejection episodes or allograft vasculopathy in heart transplant recipients.
    Author: Vrtovec B, Haddad F, Pham M, Deuse T, Fearon WF, Schrepfer S, Leon S, Vu T, Valantine H, Hunt SA.
    Journal: Transplant Proc; 2013; 45(6):2406-9. PubMed ID: 23953556.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: We evaluated the potential effects of granulocyte colony-simulating factor (G- CSF) on the incidence of rejection and allograft vasculopathy in heart transplant recipients. METHODS: Of 247 patients undergoing heart transplantation from 2000 to 2007, 52 (21%) developed leukopenia (white blood cell [WBC] <2.5 × 10(9) cells/L) in the absence of active infection, rejection, or malignancy. In 24 (46%) patients a clinical decision was made to treat the leukopenia with G-CSF (G-CSF group), and 28 (54%) Patients received no G-CSF (non-GCSF group). Patients followed up for 1 year after the period of leukopenia were assessed for allograft vasculopathy and acute rejection incidence. RESULTS: At baseline, the G-CSF group and the non-GCSF group did not differ in age, gender, race, heart failure etiology, creatinine, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) or immunosupressive regimen. During 1-year follow-up there were no deaths in the G-CSF group, and 1 death in the non-GCSF group (P = .34). The incidence of rejection or progressive allograft vasculopathy was lower in the G-CSF group when compared with the non-GCSF group (2 [8%] vs 15 [53%]; P < .01). Multivariate analysis identified both prior rejection episodes and G-CSF therapy as factors associated with the combined end-point of rejection or progressive allograft vasculopathy (odds ratio [OR] = 7.89 [1.67-37.2] and OR = 0.09 [0.02-0.52], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: G-CSF therapy appears to be associated with a decreased incidence of acute rejection episodes or allograft vasculopathy in heart transplant recipients, suggesting a potential immunomodulatory effect of G-CSF.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]