VIRAL INFECTIONS AND THYMIC HORMONES: A NEW THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1990. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

VIRAL INFECTIONS AND THYMIC HORMONES: A NEW THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

Serono Symp Publ Raven Press; 59:291-302 1989. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/90660603
Luzi G; Pesce AM; De Luca S; Carlesimo M; Aiuti F; Dept. of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Univ. of Rome La; Sapienza, Viale dell'Universita 37, 00185 Rome, Italy

Abstract: Vaccines are available for several viral diseases (eg, smallpox, poliomyelitis, measles, and hepatitis B), but many viral infections cannot be prevented by specific vaccines. In addition, vaccines cannot be used extensively in immunocompromised hosts. These problems have led to the introduction of a 'pro-host' approach, which aims to manage serious diseases through immunostimulation. Various agents have been used, including methisoprinol, levamisole, muramyl peptides, and peptide hormones produced by the thymus. Thymic hormones and their use in pro-host therapy are reviewed, including general characteristics of thymic hormones, therapeutic effects in viral diseases, TP1 (thymostimulin) in viral infections of childhood, TP1 and Epstein-Barr virus infection, TP1 therapy in chronic active hepatitis, porcine thymic immunomodulator and chronic hepatitis B in China, thymic factors in secondary T-lymphocyte immunodeficiencies, TP1 in drug addicts affected by acute type-B hepatitis, TP1 in hepatitis B surface antigen-positive chronic active hepatitis, severe measles treated with thymic humoral factor, herpes simplex virus infections and thymic hormone therapy, HIV infection and immunomodulating therapy, and clinical experience with thymic factor therapy in herpetic keratitis and recurrent herpes simplex. TP1 has been employed successfully in infectious syndromes occurring during primary and acquired immunodeficiencies, and other pathologies may be influenced positively by a rational employment of thymic hormones. Although early reports have been encouraging, some studies are not fully convincing due to the absence of a double-blind approach. Pro-host therapy involves a multidisciplinary approach and will require more extensive knowledge of the biologic mechanisms necessary for immunologic defense. (39 Refs)

Keywords: Animal Clinical Trials Double-Blind Method Herpes Simplex/THERAPY Human HIV Infections/THERAPY Keratitis, Dendritic/THERAPY Leukocyte Count/DRUG EFFECTS Lymphocyte Transformation/DRUG EFFECTS Opportunistic Infections/*THERAPY Recurrence T-Lymphocytes/DRUG EFFECTS Thymus Hormones/*THERAPEUTIC USE Virus Diseases/*THERAPY CLINICAL TRIAL JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIAL
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