[Immunostimulation in heart surgery: thymostimulin. Preliminary data]

Minerva Chir. 1993 Dec;48(23-24):1445-8.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

The immunodepressive effect of surgical procedures is well known. Immunotherapy with thymic hormones has used a long time to prevent surgical immunitary damage. In cardiac surgery, we can observe a hard immunitary depression caused by the cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP). In this paper we evaluate the response to immunotherapy, with an extractive thymic hormone: thymostimulin at the dosage of 1 mg/kg/day; 20 patients of a group of 40 underwent CBP. Immunological monitoring was obtained with the "multitest CMI", a disposable skin test to evaluate changes of lymphocytes, especially T cells. Results shows a significant increase of response in patients treated with thymostimulin versus control. A larger sample and a deeper immunitary assessment will be provided in the future.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / therapeutic use*
  • Cardiopulmonary Bypass / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Immunocompromised Host / immunology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Monitoring, Physiologic
  • Postoperative Complications / immunology*
  • Postoperative Complications / prevention & control*
  • Thymus Extracts / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Thymus Extracts
  • thymostimulin