Successful treatment of autoimmune neutropenia with recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (R-metHuG-CSF).

Autoimmune neutropenia (AIN) is characterized by antibody mediated peripheral destruction of neutrophils. Since there is no effective treatment, antibiotics have to be used frequently for recurrent infections. Five selected patients with serologically proven AIN were treated with r-metHuG-CSF at 5-8 micrograms/kg body weight (300-480 micrograms) daily; the dose and frequency of r-metHuG-CSF was reduced after neutrophil counts above 1.0 x 10(9)/l were obtained. R-metHuG-CSF is effective in AIN and causes a sustained rise in ANC which can be maintained on a low dose administered twice or thrice weekly.