Thymopentin as adjuvant therapy to hepatitis B vaccination in formerly non-or hyporesponding hemodialysis patients.
Thirteen patients who were on chronic hemodialysis for renal failure received booster vaccination with 40 micrograms HB-Vax while receiving thymopentin as adjuvant therapy. A 50-mg dose of thymopentin was administered subcutaneously 3 times weekly for 3 weeks and vaccination was given after the first week's treatment. Seven of the 13 patients had never developed any measurable anti-HBs titers in spite of 4-5 previous vaccinations, although 6 out of these 7 had used interferon as adjuvants to their last vaccination. The remaining 6 patients were hyporesponders, but the antibodies had vanished in all before the study was started. Twelve out of the 13 patients developed anti-HBs after revaccination while on thymopentin adjuvant therapy. The antibody production started in most cases within 2 weeks after the booster HB-Vax and showed an increasing trend for up to 6 weeks. Protective titers persisted in the responder cases for the duration of the study (2-3 months). Thus thymopentin may represent a valuable tool to achieve a successful hepatitis B vaccination in hemodialysis patients.
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D016305:Thymopentin; D013946:Thymopoietins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013946:Thymopoietins; D013951:Thymus Hormones; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D016305:Thymopentin