Thymopentin treatment of selective IgA deficiency.
Thymic hormones have been shown to modulate immunoglobulin production in a number of experiments and it is generally agreed that this action is mediated by modulation of helper and/or suppressor T cell activities. The possibility of upregulating the immunoglobulins is of particular relevance in patients with hypogammaglobulinemias and this paper reports on the results of thymopentin treatment in 9 patients with selective IgA deficiency. Two out of 4 patients responded positively in an open-label trial; in one the serum IgA values remained stable up to 8 weeks after discontinuation of treatment whereas there was a rapid fall in the other. Both responders had consistently normal T4/T8 ratios during the treatment, whereas the nonresponders revealed high ratios with large fluctuations of the T4/T8 ratio. In a subsequent (still ongoing) double-blind trial in 5 patients (3 thymopentin, 2 placebo) no significant change of serum or secretory IgA levels has been observed. Taken together, the data suggest that the tested dose regimen of thymopentin (i.e. daily i.m. injections of 1 mg/kg for 2 weeks, then same dose 3 time weekly for 10 weeks) may only work in a subset of patients with selective IgA deficiency. In the present study we did not attempt to distinguish to which of the three known subgroups the 9 patients belonged, nor did we try alternative dose regimens of thymopentin.
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004406:Dysgammaglobulinemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017098:IgA Deficiency; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects; D016305:Thymopentin; D013946:Thymopoietins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D006728:Hormones; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013946:Thymopoietins; D013951:Thymus Hormones; D016305:Thymopentin