title: Thymopentine treatment improves clinical and immunological functions in aged subjects with chronic bronchitis.
abstract: The effect of in vivo thymopentine treatment (50 mg/subcutaneously every other day for six weeks) on clinical features and in vitro immunological parameters was evaluated in ten aged patients with chronic bronchitis. In vitro immunological studies were performed before and after treatment both on phenotypic (OK monoclonal defined lymphocyte subpopulations) and functional parameters (blastogenic responses to polyclonal mitogens Concanavalin-A and Phytoemagglutinine). Thymopentine did not significantly affect lymphocyte subpopulations, which were reduced before pharmacological treatment, when compared to those of young healthy controls. Peripheral blood lymphocytes blastogenic response to polyclonal mitogens was restored, even though proliferation did not reach the values of young healthy subjects. Thymopentine treatment significantly improved lymphocyte functions, without being able, however, to overcome completely the age-dependent loss of blastogenic responses. Nevertheless the favourable evolution of clinical symptoms we observed in our study may be, at least in part, related to the improvement in vivo of those immunological functions that we studied in vitro. Eight out of ten patients showed an evident improvement of symptoms and signs of chronic bronchitis after thymopentine treatment and four of them arrived to a complete remission from infectious episodes. No side effects were noted. Although still preliminary, these results seem to be encouraging as thymopentine could be used with success as an immunomodulating agent in aged people.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Scientifico San Raffaele, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pavoni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crosti
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Ciboddo
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sabbadini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baldini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Navone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellone
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rugarli
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012882:Skin Tests; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D016305:Thymopentin; D013946:Thymopoietins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013946:Thymopoietins; D013951:Thymus Hormones; D016305:Thymopentin