Immunological modifications during treatment with thymosin a1 plus antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis C

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1194; no. 1; pp. 147 - 152
• Main Authors: Grandini, E, Cannoletta, F, Scuteri, A, tini, C, Loggi, E, Cursaro, C, Riili, A, Di Donato, R, Gramenzi, A, Bernardi, M, Andreone, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.04.2010
• Subjects: Hepatitis C virus
• ISSN: 0077-8923
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05461.x

The current standard therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the combination of peginterferon and ribavirin, although many patients fail to clear the virus and their retreatment options are still unsatisfactory. Thymosin a1 (Ta1) is an immunomodulating agent that has been proposed as complementary therapy for chronic HCV, especially in the setting of difficult-to-treat patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in patients nonresponsive to previous Peg-based therapy, the effect of standard antiviral therapy with or without Ta1 on peripheral lymphocyte subsets. Twenty-four patients, 12 receiving Ta1 and 12 standard therapy, were enrolled. Peripheral subpopulations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Although the addition of Ta1 did not seem to significantly modify the T-lymphocyte subpopulations, as comparable behaviors were observed in the CD4 and CD8 longitudinal evaluation, Ta1 produced an earlier increase of natural killer cells. An accurate selection of HCV patients who can benefit from immunomodulation is needed.