Local treatment of chronic cutaneous leg ulcers with recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Abstract

AIM:

To test the efficacy and safety of recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rHuGM-CSF) in the treatment of chronic cutaneous leg ulcers.

METHODS:

Five patients with chronic cutaneous leg ulcers were recruited for this 4-month study using only rHuGM-CSF to treat the ulcers. One patient had a neuropathic-diabetic ulcer, and four had long-standing vascular leg ulcers.

RESULTS:

The patient with the neuropathic diabetic ulcer showed complete healing after 1 month of treatment. The other four patients with vascular leg ulcers with a long history of ulceration had a poor prognosis for healing. The first, with three venous ulcerative lesions, presented complete resolution of one ulcer and stabilization of the other two; the second and third patients, with large vascular ulcers, improved with more then 50% reduction of the mean diameter of the ulcers; the fourth patient, with one large venous ulcer, did not show any improvement.

CONCLUSIONS:

Pathogenesis, size and duration of the ulcers seemed to be the most important parameters regarding wound repairing capability of rHuGM-CSF. None of the ulcers increased in size and none of the patients developed clinical side-effects or peripheral blood cell count abnormalities during the treatment. All the results described were stable after 6 months of follow up. The absence of peripheral leucocyte count variation and the size-dependent therapeutic effect indicate that the drug exercises local rather than systemic actions.

• Authors: L Bianchi, A Ginebri, J H Hagman, F Francesconi, I Carboni, S Chimenti
• Journal: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV (J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol) Vol. 16 Issue 6 Pg. 595-8 (Nov 2002) ISSN: 0926-9959 [Print] England
• PMID: 12482042 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Recombinant Proteins
• Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Female
• Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Leg Ulcer (drug therapy)
• Male
• Recombinant Proteins
• Time Factors
• Wound Healing