title: Thymopoietin pentapeptide (TP-5) improves clinical parameters and lymphocyte subpopulations in atopic dermatitis.
abstract: In a double-blind prospective study, eighteen patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) were treated with thrice-weekly injections of 50 mg thymopoietin pentapeptide (TP-5) or placebo for 6 weeks. Clinical parameters, lymphocyte subsets defined by monoclonal antibodies, and serum IgE were modified. Younger patients (age less than 34) responded to TP-5 with much greater improvement in severity scores than TP-5-treated patients of age greater than 34 or than placebo-treated patients of either age group (p less than 0.05). Both absolute lymphocytes and OKT8+ cytotoxic/suppressor cells were significantly increased (p less than 0.05) in the TP-5 group, whereas they were not significantly increased in the placebo group (p greater than 0.05). Conversely, Ia+ cells were significantly increased in the placebo group (p less than 0.05), but remained the same in the TP-5 group (p greater than 0.05). Serum IgE levels were not significantly altered in either group. Thus, TP-5 had a beneficial clinical effect in AD, especially in younger patients, and increased the reduced OKT8+ cytotoxic/suppressor T cells and prevented an increase of Ia+ cells during pollen season.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006728:Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016305:Thymopentin; D013946:Thymopoietins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013946:Thymopoietins; D013951:Thymus Hormones; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D016305:Thymopentin