[Leukocyte activity and occurrence of tissue injury by G-CSF].

G-CSF (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) is one of the cytokines which increase and activate neutrophils. These effects have been confirmed by a lot of clinical studies. Although only few side effects have been reported so far, we saw a patient with hypertension, facial edema, and severe headache after G-CSF administration. We have measured the sticking strength of leukocytes to the walls of narrow pores in modified Nuclepore filtration method of Kikuchi, in various clinical situations, and we have denoted the pore filtration time as the rheological activity of leukocytes (RAL). In this study, we tried to measure RALs of patients after G-CSF administration (60-100 micrograms) and to compare them with those of non-treated normal individuals. We also checked serum levels of granulocyte elastase in the patients. In the static state (in which neutrophils were not stimulated), RALs of the patients were 8.0 +/- 1.5sec. [N = 8], and those of the controls were 3.8 +/- 1.6sec. [N = 21] (p < 0.001). In the activated state (in which neutrophils were stimulated by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine), PALs of patients were quite high, i.e. those of the patients and controls were 592 +/- 322sec. and 69 +/- 62sec., respectively (p < 0.001). In all cases given G-CSF, the serum levels of granulocyte elastase were above the normal range. In view of our results, we it is possible that highly activated leukocytes would injure tissue and then induce organ failure and several symptoms, as in this study.