Varying expression levels of colony stimulating factor receptors in disease states and different leukocytes

Administration of G-CSF may not always respond in rise of neutrophil counts in different patient population. In order to understand a possible inter-relationship between the G-CSF and GM-CSF induced leukocyte responses and expression levels of receptors for G-CSF (G-CSFr) and GM-CSF (GM-CSFr), the levels of each receptor and CSF were measured in patients with basophilia (8), eosinophilia (14) and bacterial infection showing neutrophilia (12) in comparison with normal healthy adults (12) and children (14). G-CSFr was expressed in neutrophils in the largest amount followed by monocytes, but GM-CSFr was expressed more in monocytes than neutrophils. Lymphocytes and basophils did not express G-CSFr or GM-CSFr. The amount of GM-CSFr in neutrophils was present less in patients with infection than normal control (P = 0.031). The neutrophils expressed more G-CSFr than GM-CSFr. The quantity of G-CSFr in eosinophil showed marked interval change, higher in acute stage. The plasma concentrations of G-CSF in patients with infection were much higher than normal adults or children (117.95 +/- 181.16 pg/ml, P < 0.05). Binding assay with excess amount of CSFs could discriminate the patient who did not show any response to G-CSF or GM-CSF administration. After incubation with excess CSFs, more receptors were blocked in children than in adults (G-CSF P = 0.024, GM-CSF P = 0.006). These results indicate that the amount of CSFr in leukocyte varies in different types of leukocyte, and changes according to the patients' condition even in the same type of leukocyte, and the CSFrs of children bind to CSFs more than those of adults.