TY - JOUR
T1 - In vivo immunopotentiating activity of thymopentin in aging humans
T2 - Modulation of IL-2 receptor expression
AU - Barcellini, Wilma
AU - Meroni, Pier Luigi
AU - Borghi, Maria Orietta
AU - Frasca, Daniela
AU - Perego, Renata
AU - Doria, Gino
AU - Zanussi, Carlo
PY - 1988
Y1 - 1988
N2 - The effect of thymopentin treatment was investigated in immunocompromized elderly subjects. Thymopentin was able to increase IL-2 production and IL-2 receptor expression, as assessed on PHA-activated blasts by percentage of Tac-positive cells and response to exogenous IL-2. After treatment, an increased precursor frequency, estimated by limiting dilution analysis, of PHA-responding lymphocytes was observed in two out of six subjects tested. In vitro experiments with thymopentin show that the drug was able to enhance blastogenesis by PHA of elderly lymphocytes but not of adult cells. These results indicate that (a) the increased IL-2 synthesis/IL-2 receptor expression may be the crucial mechanism of the immunopotentiating activity of the drug in elderly subjects and (b) an increased intrinsic T-cell responsiveness seems to be responsible for this immunopotentiating activity, although an increase in the size of the responsive T-cell pool could not be excluded.
AB - The effect of thymopentin treatment was investigated in immunocompromized elderly subjects. Thymopentin was able to increase IL-2 production and IL-2 receptor expression, as assessed on PHA-activated blasts by percentage of Tac-positive cells and response to exogenous IL-2. After treatment, an increased precursor frequency, estimated by limiting dilution analysis, of PHA-responding lymphocytes was observed in two out of six subjects tested. In vitro experiments with thymopentin show that the drug was able to enhance blastogenesis by PHA of elderly lymphocytes but not of adult cells. These results indicate that (a) the increased IL-2 synthesis/IL-2 receptor expression may be the crucial mechanism of the immunopotentiating activity of the drug in elderly subjects and (b) an increased intrinsic T-cell responsiveness seems to be responsible for this immunopotentiating activity, although an increase in the size of the responsive T-cell pool could not be excluded.
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U2 - 10.1016/0090-1229(88)90078-5
DO - 10.1016/0090-1229(88)90078-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 3134150
AN - SCOPUS:0023734799
VL - 48
SP - 140
EP - 149
JO - Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology
JF - Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology
SN - 0090-1229
IS - 2
ER -