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Intravenous administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for treating neuropathic pain associated with compression myelopathy: a phase I and IIa clinical trial

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Abstract

Objective

To confirm the feasibility and safety of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for treating spinal neuropathic pain associated with compression myelopathy, we have initiated an open-label single-center prospective clinical trial.

Methods

Between January 2009 and February 2011, 17 patients were accrued and were divided into two groups. One group included 7 patients who complained of pain associated with worsening symptoms of myelopathy (progressing myelopathy-related pain group). The other group included 10 patients who complained of pain that persisted after surgery for compression myelopathy (post-operative persistent pain group). All patients underwent intravenous administration of G-CSF (10 μg/kg/day) for 5 consecutive days. Pain severity was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) before and after G-CSF administration.

Results

In 14 of the 17 patients, pain was relieved within several days after G-CSF administration. Pain disappeared completely in 3 patients. In the progressing myelopathy-related pain group, the mean VAS score was 71.4/100 before G-CSF administration, and decreased to 35.9/100 at 1 week after G-CSF administration (p < 0.05). In the post-operative persistent pain group, the mean VAS score was 72.0/100 before G-CSF administration, and decreased to 51.7/100 at 1 week after G-CSF administration (p < 0.05). No severe adverse events occurred during or after G-CSF administration.

Conclusions

The present results provide us with the possibility that G-CSF has a pain-relieving effect for neuropathic pain in patients with compression myelopathy.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Health Labour Science Research Grant of Japan.

Conflict of interest

No funds were received in support of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spine Section, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan

    Kei Kato, Masashi Yamazaki, Akihiko Okawa, Takeo Furuya, Tsuyoshi Sakuma, Hiroshi Takahashi, Koshiro Kamiya, Taigo Inada, Kazuhisa Takahashi & Masao Koda

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  1. Kei Kato
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  2. Masashi Yamazaki
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  3. Akihiko Okawa
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  4. Takeo Furuya
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  5. Tsuyoshi Sakuma
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  6. Hiroshi Takahashi
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  7. Koshiro Kamiya
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  8. Taigo Inada
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  9. Kazuhisa Takahashi
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  10. Masao Koda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masashi Yamazaki.

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Kato, K., Yamazaki, M., Okawa, A. et al. Intravenous administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for treating neuropathic pain associated with compression myelopathy: a phase I and IIa clinical trial. Eur Spine J 22, 197–204 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-012-2556-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-012-2556-9

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