Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Randomized,Double-Blind,Placebo-Controlled Study of Iranian Patients |
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| Authors: | Nasibeh Amirzagar Shahriar Nafissi Abbas Tafakhori Amirhossein Modabbernia Aliakbar Amirzargar Majid Ghaffarpour Bahaddin Siroos Mohammad Hossein Harirchian |
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| Affiliation: | aIranian Center of Neurological Research, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.;bNeurology Department, Tehran Shariati Hospital, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.;cDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.;dDepartment of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. |
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| Abstract: | MethodsForty subjects with ALS were randomly assigned to two groups, which received either subcutaneous G-CSF (5 µg/kg/q12h) or placebo for 5 days. The subjects were then followed up for 3 months using the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), manual muscle testing, ALS Assessment Questionnaire-40, and nerve conduction studies. CD34+/CD133+ cell count and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels were evaluated at baseline.ResultsThe rate of disease progression did not differ significantly between the two groups. The reduction in ALSFRS-R scores was greater in female subjects in the G-CSF group than in their counterparts in the placebo group. There was a trend toward a positive correlation between baseline CSF MCP-1 levels and the change in ALSFRS-R scores in both groups (Spearman''s ρ=0.370, p=0.070).ConclusionsWith the protocol implemented in this study, G-CSF is not a promising option for the treatment of ALS. Furthermore, it may accelerate disease progression in females. |
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| Keywords: | amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS Functional Rating Scale granulocyte colony-stimulating factor CD34+/CD133+ cells monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 compound motor action potential |
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