Haploidentical Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Demonstrates Stable Engraftment in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

We report on the screening and development of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for adult patients with clinically aggressive sickle cell disease (SCD) at our institution. Of 50 adult SCD patients referred for HSCT between January 2014 and March 2017, 20% were denied by insurance. Of 41 patients initially screened, 10% lacked an available haploidentical donor, 29% had elevated donor-specific antibodies (DSAs), and 34% declined to proceed to HSCT. All 10 patients who were transplanted received peripheral blood stem cells. The initial 2 were conditioned with alemtuzumab/total body irradiation (TBI) 3?Gy followed by post-transplant cyclophosphamide and failed to engraft. The next 8 patients received the regimen developed at Johns Hopkins University with TBI 3?Gy. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was administered from day +12 in those with HbS < 30%. All 8 patients engrafted with a median time to neutrophil >.5 × 10⁹/L of 22 days (range, 18 to 23). One patient subsequently lost the graft, and 7 (87.5%) maintained >95% donor cell chimerism at 1-year post-HSCT. Two patients developed acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of at least grade II. One had chronic GVHD and died >1 year after HSCT of unknown causes. With a median follow-up of 16 months (range, 11 to 29), 7 patients (87.5%) are alive. Our findings suggest that limited insurance coverage, high rate of DSAs, and patient declining HSCT may limit the availability of haploidentical HSCT in adult SCD patients. The modified Hopkins regimen used here demonstrates high engraftment and low morbidity rates and should be tested in larger, multicenter, prospective clinical trials.     

Implications of uterine NK cells and regulatory T cells in the endometrium of infertile women

A range of studies have shown that the complex process of implantation and an establishment of a pregnancy also involves immune factors. Disturbances in these underlying immune mechanisms might lead to implantation and pregnancy failure and may be involved in the pathogenesis of unexplained infertility. Several studies have reported that imbalances in uterine NK (uNK) cell abundance are associated with infertility; however, controversies exist. An increased amount of CD56⁺ uNK cells along with a decrease in CD16⁺ uNK cells have been associated with normal fertility in some studies. Very few studies of FoxP3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the pre-implantation endometrium have been performed. Results are sparse and controversial, studies reporting both increased and decreased numbers of Tregs, respectively, in women suffering from infertility. In conclusion, studies imply that uNK cells, Tregs and HLA-G carry pivotal roles regarding the establishment of a healthy pregnancy, and that abnormal immune mechanisms involving these parameters may be associated with infertility. However, more research in early phases of the reproductive cycle, such as investigating the conditions in the endometrium before implantation, is needed to further clarify the underlying mechanisms.     

Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Increases Hepatic Sinusoidal Perfusion During Liver Regeneration in Mice

Conditioning with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) promotes liver regeneration in an experimental small-for-size liver remnant mouse model. The mechanisms involved in this extraordinary G-CSF effect are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of G-CSF on the hepatic microvasculature in the regenerating liver. The hepatic sinusoidal microvasculature and microarchitecture of the regenerating liver were evaluated by intravital microscopy in mice. Three experimental groups were compared: (1) unoperated unconditioned animals (control; n = 5), (2) animals conditioned with G-CSF 48 h after 60% partial hepatectomy (G-CSF-PH; n = 6), and (3) animals sham conditioned 48 h after 60% PH (sham-PH; n = 6). PH led to hepatocyte hypertrophy and increased hepatic sinusoidal velocity in the sham-PH and G-CSF-PH groups. Increased sinusoidal diameter and increased hepatic blood flow were observed in the G-CSF-PH group compared to the sham-PH and control groups. Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation between spleen weight and hepatic sinusoidal diameter in the G-CSF-PH group. The increased hepatic blood flow could explain the observed benefit of G-CSF conditioning during liver regeneration. These results elucidate an unexplored aspect of pharmacological modulation of liver regeneration and motivate further experiments.     

Assessing blood granulocyte colony-stimulating factor as a potential biomarker of acute traumatic brain injury in mice and humans

Previous work has found that serum G-CSF was acutely elevated in mice 24 h but not one week after controlled cortical impact (CCI). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether blood G-CSF correlates with the elevated brain cytokines in mice after CCI and also if it correlates with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans. Here, we found in mice undergoing CCI, a procedure that induces direct injury to the brain, that serum G-CSF correlated directly or indirectly with several brain cytokines, indicating it is a useful marker for the neuroinflammation of TBI. A pilot study in humans (phase I, n = 19) confirmed that plasma G-CSF is acutely elevated on day 1 (p < 0.001) of TBI and has returned to baseline by one week. In a second human sample (phase II) (n = 80), we found plasma G-CSF peaks about 12 h after arriving in the emergency department (41.6 +/− 5.4 pg/ml). Aging was weakly associated (p < 0.05) with a less robust elevation in serum G-CSF, but there was no difference with gender. ISS, a measure of total severity of injury, correlated with the degree of elevation in serum G-CSF (r = .419; p < 0.05), but severity of head injury (via AIS) did not. The latter may have been because of the statistically narrow range of head injuries among our cases and the high number of cases diagnosed with closed head injury (a non-codable diagnosis). In conclusion, plasma G-CSF may be a useful biomarker of TBI, correlating with neuroinflammation in the animal model and in the human studies with time since injury and total severity of injury. As such, it may be useful in determining whether TBI has occurred within the last 24 h.     

大鼠脑出血周边组织脑水含量、细胞凋亡和Bax表达的变化及粒细胞集落刺激因子的影响

目的研究粒细胞集落刺激因子(G-CSF)对脑出血(ICH)大鼠神经功能损伤、脑水肿的影响,粒细胞集落刺激因子对大鼠脑出血周边组织Bax表达及细胞凋亡的影响。方法 Wistar大鼠112只,随机分为脑出血组、脑出血+G-CSF组,两组各分为(出血前、出血后4 h、6 h、12 h、24 h、72 h、7 d)7个时间点。免疫组化法测定大鼠脑出血周边组织Bax的表达,利用原位末端标记法测定出血周边组织中神经细胞的凋亡情况。并在脑出血后24 h、48 h、72 h、7 d测定大鼠神经功能评分和脑含水量。结果脑出血后24 h开始大鼠就出现明显的神经功能缺失症状,G-CSF治疗后神经功能缺失症状得到明显改善,在1 w内的各个时间点两组比较差异有显著性(P<0.01)。脑出血大鼠24 h即出现脑水肿,脑水肿形成的高峰时间在ICH后48 h~7 d左右,ICH大鼠在G-CSF治疗后脑水肿形成明显减轻,两组间比较差异有显著性(P<0.05;P<0.01)。大鼠脑出血周边组织Bax表达4 h开始升高(P<0.01),大约24 h左右Bax表达达峰值。大鼠脑出血周边组织6 h出现凋亡细胞,12 h上升显著(P<0.01),3 d达峰值,7 d时仍存在较多凋亡细胞。G-CSF干预后,Bax表达及凋亡细胞数量与脑出血组对应时间点比较显著下降(P<0.01)。结论脑出血大鼠出现明显脑水肿和神经功能损伤,脑出血周边组织神经细胞存在长时间凋亡。G-CSF可抑制大鼠脑出血后Bax蛋白表达,从而抑制神经细胞凋亡。     

Colony stimulating factors in the nervous system

Although traditionally seen as regulators of hematopoiesis, colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) have emerged as important players in the nervous system, both in health and disease. This review summarizes the cellular sources, patterns of expression and physiological roles of the macrophage (CSF-1, IL-34), granulocyte-macrophage (GM-CSF) and granulocyte (G-CSF) colony stimulating factors within the nervous system, with a particular focus on their actions on microglia. CSF-1 and IL-34, via the CSF-1R, are required for the development, proliferation and maintenance of essentially all CNS microglia in a temporal and regional specific manner. In contrast, in steady state, GM-CSF and G-CSF are mainly involved in regulation of microglial function. The alterations in expression of these growth factors and their receptors, that have been reported in several neurological diseases, are described and the outcomes of their therapeutic targeting in mouse models and humans are discussed.     

Utilisation of primary and secondary G-CSF prophylaxis enables maintenance of optimal dose delivery of standard adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer: An analysis of 1655 patients

Optimal outcome for early breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy requires adequate dose delivery, commonly defined as >85% of planned dose of chemotherapy agents. Outside the clinical trial setting, reports from community oncology centres have demonstrated that a significant proportion of patients fail to receive this dose intensity, with neutropenia being the most commonly cited reason for sub-optimal treatment. Data collected prospectively on 1655 patient treated in a single breast cancer centre demonstrates that patients at risk of sub-optimal dose delivery can be identified by routine assessment of neutropenic events during the first cycle. The uniform administration of secondary G-CSF for all subsequent cycles enables dose delivery ≥85%, which was shown to lead to improved survival outcomes when compared with those patients who received <85%.     

Prophylactic and therapeutic strategies in chemotherapy-induced neutropenia

Introduction: Neutropenia poses a serious threat to patients on chemotherapy. It exposes them to the risk of infection – including potentially fatal infections – and also leads to delays in treatment and reductions in dose intensity, which can compromise the possibility of a favorable outcome.

Areas covered: The use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF) and antibiotics to prevent febrile neutropenia (FN) and to ameliorate cancer chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression is discussed, based on a systematic search of Pubmed for clinical trials, reviews and meta-analysis published in the last 20 years. We consider that the treatment of FN, with the emphasis on careful attention to the patient, prompts antibiotic therapy and good hospital care.

Expert opinion: We would argue that antibiotic prophylaxis should be offered routinely to patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy for acute leukemia and for patients with solid tumors and lymphoma receiving high-dose chemotherapy. In patients undergoing cyclical standard-dose myelosuppressive chemotherapy, we believe that prophylaxis is indicated during the first cycle of chemotherapy in which there is an expectation of grade 4 neutropenia (< 500 neutrophils). However, although the use of antibiotics and haematopoietic growth factors may improve quality of life by reducing the risk and consequences of FN, further study of the magnitude of their effects is needed.     

Assessment of intracellular cytokines and regulatory cells in patients with autoimmune diseases and primary immunodeficiencies — Novel tool for diagnostics and patient follow-up

Serum and intracytoplasmic cytokines are mandatory in host defense against microbes, but also play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases by initiating and perpetuating various cellular and humoral autoimmune processes.     

Granulocyte colony stimulating factor treatment of resistant thin endometrium in women with frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer

The aim of the study was to assess the granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) effect on unresponsive thin (<7 mm) endometrium in women undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer at the blastocyst stage. A total of 62 women with thin unresponsive endometrium were included in the study, of which, 29 received a G-CSF infusion and 33 who opted out of the study served as controls. Patients in both groups had similar endometrial thickness at the time of the initial evaluation: 6.50 mm (5.50-6.80) in the G-CSF and 6.40 mm (5.50-7.0) in the control group. However, after the infusion endometrial thickness increased significantly in the G-CSF group in comparison with the controls (p=0.01), (Δ) 0.5 (0.02-1.2) (p=0.005). In the G-CSF group endometrium expanded to 7.90 mm (6.58-8.70) while in the control group to 6.90 mm (6.0-7.75). Five women in each group conceived. The clinical pregnancy rate was 5/29 (17.24%) in the G-CSF treated group and 5/33 (15.15%) in the control group (p>0.05). The live birth rate was 2/29 (6.89%) in the G-CSF group and 2/33 (6.06%) in the control group (p>0.05). We concluded that G-CSF infusion leads to an improvement in endometrium thickness but not to any improvement in the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. Until more data is available G-CSF treatment should be considered to be of limited value in increasing pregnancy rate. Abbreviations: G-CSF: granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; M-CSF: macrophagecolony-stimulating factor; GM-CSF: granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; FET: frozen embryo transfer; IVF: in vitro fertilization