title: Thymostimulin effect on the immune response in neoplastic patients submitted to surgical treatment.
abstract: We selected the data from performance status, disease state, skin tests, circulating lymphocytes and relative subsets, serum immunoglobulin classes to evaluate the immune response in 29 neoplastic patients treated with surgery and undergoing Thymostimulin administration during long term follow-up. Moderate drug intolerance was observed in 3 patients. After treatment lymphocyte count increase (41% mean increase) in 61.5% of cases; CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16 respectively 95-74-87-82% of cases; immunoglobulin classes in about 90% of cases. A clear-cut improvement of Karnofsky's index was observed in 34.6% of cases, worsening in 11.5%. A manifest improvement in the delayed hypersensitivity skin test resulted in 36% of cases. Most patients (85%) have shown signs of complete disease remission. Disease progression was observed only in 3 patients. There were no infections during this study.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Surgery, University La Sapienza of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cangemi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Volpino
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gentili
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fabrizi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ippoliti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piat
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007369:Interferon Inducers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000473:pathology; D013949:Thymus Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007369:Interferon Inducers; D013949:Thymus Extracts; C031407:thymostimulin