Granulocyte transfusion therapy of experimental Pseudomonas pneumonia

Pseudomonas pneumonia was produced in dogs with radiation induced leukopenia. Treatment of this infection with either gentamicin alone or gentamicin plus daily granulocyte transfusion was compared in a randomized controlled trial. The dogs receiving granulocytes plus gentamicin survived significantly longer than those treated with gentamicin alone (P<0.05). The Pseudomonas immunotype which was inoculated into the dogs were recovered at autopsy from none of the granulocyte transfused dogs, whereas 7 or 8 of the dogs treated with gentamicin alone had the inoculated Pseudomonas immunotype in the area of induced pneumonia at autopsy. As measured by the limulus test, the granulocyte transfused dogs also did not have endotoxemia as frequently as the dogs given only gentamicin (P<0.05). This controlled study establishes that transfused granulocytes can favorably alter the course of experimental Pseudomonas pneumonia and suggests that granulocyte transfusions may be a useful therapy in serious bacterial infections of leukopenic subjects.