RESUMO
Cytokines might have a role in the etiopathogenesis of hematologic malignancies. Serum levels of interleukin-1B [IL-1B] and granulocyte- macrophage colony stimulating factor [GM-CSF] were evaluated in 48 febrile neutropenic children undergoing cytoreductive chemotherapy for treatment of some hematologic malignancies [20 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL], 16 patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia [ANLL], and 12 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL]. They had significantly high mean serum value of IL-1B as compared with 20 healthy, sex and age matched children as controls [p <0.001]. In addition, they had significantly low mean serum value of GM-CSF in comparison with the control group [p <0.001]. Although, higher mean serum values of IL-1B were found in patients' groups with high grade fever, that with positive blood culture and that with mild to moderate neutropenia, yet, they were not significant when compared with patients' groups with low grade fever, that with negative blood culture and that with severe neutropenia, respectively. Thus, from this study, it is clear that febrile neutrophic children with hematologic malignancies under chemotherapy had high serum levels of IL-1B and low levels of GM-CSF