title: Alpha-1-thymosin and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma patients: a preliminary experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the tolerability and therapeutic potential of the immunostimulating adjuvant alpha-1-thymosin in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were treated with alpha-1-thymosin (900 micrograms/m2 subcutaneously twice per week for 6 months) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and compared to a historical control group (matched for gender, age, Okuda staging, Child's score, alpha-fetoprotein serum levels and viral infection) treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No severe side effects were recorded in the 2 treatment groups. The combination of alpha-1-thymosin plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization resulted in a longer survival that reached statistical significance 7 months after the end of treatment (p < 0.05). Patients receiving combined treatment demonstrated a significant increase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells expressing CD3 (p < 0.05) and CD8 (p < 0.025) 3 months after beginning treatment. They also had a significant increase (p < 0.05) in CD16+ and CD56+ cells after 1 month, and a slight reduction in mononuclear cells expressing CD25, a marker for cell activation. No alterations in the response to phytohemagglutinin stimulation were seen during the alpha-1-thymosin treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of toxicity and the favourable effects observed in this open study call for a double blind control study to confirm the efficacy of the combined treatment.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Medicina Interna, Ospedale di Faenza, Ra.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Stefanini
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Foschi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marsigli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biselli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mucci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Van Thiel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D013947:Thymosin; D000077596:Thymalfasin