Immunotherapy of patients with chronic virus B hepatitis: I. Maturation of human T-lymphocytes under influence of calf thymic hormone

Abstract Well known thymic-dependent properties of T-lymphocytes, E-rosetting, and phytomitogenic responsiveness, were observed to be lowered in some patients with chronic virus-B hepatitis. On the assumption that these deficiencies may be due to lack of thymic influence, we decided to attempt their repair by administration of the thymus extract “TFX-Polfa” to the patients. The earliest effect of treatment observed was an increase in percentage of E-rosetting cells to a value within the normal range. Prolonged treatment resulted in the increase of lymphocyte response to stimulation with concanavalin A, and thereafter in significant increase in reactivity to phytohemagglutinin. It is suggested that these quantitative and qualitative improvements elicited by TFX in the peripheral blood lymphocyte pictures of the patients arise out of its ability to induce in vivo sequential processes of differentiation of thymus-dependent lymphocytes normally accomplished by the thymus.