Adjunctive granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy for diabetic foot infections

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of diabetic foot infections in non-neutropenic patients. DATA SOURCES: Clinical literature was accessed through MEDLINE (1965-April 2004). Key search terms included G-CSF, infection, and diabetes. In addition, relevant references from primary and secondary article bibliographies were extracted. DATA SYNTHESIS: Three clinical trials evaluating G-CSF for diabetic foot infections were identified. These data demonstrated positive effects of G-CSF on improvement of foot infections and risk of amputations. CONCLUSIONS: Controlled trials are necessary to validate the role of adjunctive G-CSF at reducing amputations in patients with diabetic foot infections.