Neutropenia after penicillins: toxic or immune-mediated?

摘要: Eight patients treated with a total of 220-550 million U penicillin-G developed neutropenia. These cases have been compared eight receiving similar dose pencillin-G no adverse reactions and untreated subjects. All penicillin-treated showed raised levels anti-IgG antibodies lymphocyte culture stimulation indices. values were highest in the neutropenia group. Both two tests significantly discriminated three groups. Antineutrophil could be detected four seven neutropenic staphylococcal-slide-assay while indirect immunofluorescence microcytotoxicity failed to reveal these antibodies. The literature dealing neutropenias induced by its congeners is reviewed. We conclude that (1) doses exceeding 200 frequently induces neutropenia, (2) an immune-mediated pathogenesis highly probable, (3) after penicillins different from hither-to accepted types this side effect, (4) sufficiently high amounts intravenously always induce sensitization against drug.