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Case Report
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Induces Disease Flare in Patients with Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis
CHRISTOF IKING-KONERT, BENEDIKT OSTENDORF, MARK FOEDE, REBECCA FISCHER-BETZ, GREGOR JUNG, MARIA G. HAENSCH, and MATTHIAS SCHNEIDER ABSTRACT. Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhuG-CSF) is frequently given to patients with leukopenia or neutropenia caused by various underlying diseases. The treatment with rhuG-CSF is apparently safe, although cutaneous vasculitis and flares in patients with autoimmune diseases are described. We describe 2 patients with histologically proven antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated systemic vasculitis with disease flares after administration of rhuG-CSF, given to improve collection of stem cells prior to autologous stem cell transplantation. (J Rheumatol 2004;31:1655-8) Key Indexing Terms:
ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODY-ASSOCIATED SYSTEMIC VASCULITIS
From the Center for Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology, and the Department of Radiology, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf; and the Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. C. Iking-Konert, MD; B. Ostendorf, MD; M. Foede, MD; R. Fischer-Betz, MD; M. Schneider, MD, Professor of Rheumatology, Head of the Center of Rheumatology; G. Jung, MD, Department of Radiology, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf; M.G. Haensch, PhD, Professor of Immunology, University of Heidelberg. Address reprint requests to Dr. C. Iking-Konert, Center for Rheumatology, Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Duesseldorf, Germany. E-mail: iking-konert@med.uni-duesseldorf.de Submitted October 20, 2003; revision accepted February 11, 2004. |