Anti-inflammatory aspects of filgrastim and impact on IL-2 release

G-CSF has immunomodulatory effects of neutrophilic granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages. Two studies were done: one in normal volunteers and the other in HIV-infected patients plus their respective control donors to evaluate the effect of Filgrastim on cytokine responses. Filgrastim treatment of volunteers resulted in anti-inflammatory cytokine response, when blood was stimulated ex vivo with the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Similarly, in the presence of Filgrastim in vitro, the LPS-inducible release of proinflammatory cytokines was attenuated. Blood from HIV-infected patients at advanced stages of disease showed reduced interleukin (IL)-2 formation in response to staphylococcal exotoxin B (SEB), which was restored in the presence of Filgrastim.