[Granulocyte function in myelodysplastic syndrome before and after low-dose cytarabine therapy]

Granulocytic phagocytosis ability (phagocytosis index in peripheral blood and in skin chamber exudate) and in vivo chemotaxis (skin chamber leukocyte mobilisation) were investigated in 22 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (19 men, three women, mean age 66.1 [46-82] years). The control group consisted of 20 young, healthy subjects (13 men, seven women, mean age 25 [22-27] years). The studies were repeated in twelve of the patients after 10 days of low-dose cytarabine therapy (10 mg twice daily subcutaneously). Before treatment, total leukocyte mobilisation (TLM) after 24 hours (3.43 +/- 0.6 G/l.cm2) and phagocytosis index (PI(blood): 33.9 +/- 16.6%, PI(skin) chamber: 34.1 +/- 13.1%) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than in controls (TLM: 6.7 +/- 0.78 G/l.cm2, PI(blood): 59.6 +/- 17.8%, PI(skin) chamber: 37.4 +/- 18.1%). Following treatment for 10 days, the values were still depressed or had even worsened (TLM: 3.09 +/- 0.97 G/l.cm2; PI(blood): 35.6 +/- 24.1%, PI(skin) chamber: 19.9 +/- 8.6%; all P < 0.05). Investigation of granulocytic function in myelodysplastic syndrome may reveal evidence of reduced immune protection by these cells against infection. Low-dose cytarabine therapy does not seem to affect cell differentiation.