Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019158 (hepatitis)
 30,205 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Four children with lymphoproliferative malignant disease, two with acute lymphocytic leukemia in remission and two with Hodgkin's disease, were treated with a Thymic Hormone, THF, for disseminated varicella infecition. It is suggested that THF increased significantly the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes and T-rosette forming lymphocytes in 3 out of 4 children, who developed the varicella at the time of impaired cellular immunity. On the other hand, in the fourth child, with Hodgkin's disease, who had a normal number of T-rosettes, a decreased absolute number of lymphocytes as well as T-rosettes was observed over a course of 14 days THF treatment, although the percent of T-cells has not changed significantly. All of the four children recovered, including the child who was at high risk, with a marked lymphopenia, severe bilateral pneumonitis, hepatitis secondary infected skin lesions and psudomonas sepsis. It is indicated that THF therapy may restore the depressed cellular immunity in immunosuppressed children with malignant disease, and has its value as a supportive immunotherapy in life-threatening disseminated varicella infection.
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PMID:Thymic hormone (THF) therapy in immunosuppressed children with lymphoproliferative neoplasia and generalized varicella. 26 20

A recent study indicated that thymic hormones have antiviral effects in human hepatitis B virus infection and woodchuck hepatitis virus infection. These hormones are known to exert immunomodulatory effects on lymphocyte maturation and function; because these are abnormal in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, we have examined the effects of a thymic hormone (THF gamma 2) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. THF gamma 2 (50 or 150 ng/ml) alone was without effect; in the presence of low doses of the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin, it had a broad effect in patients and controls. The effect on interleukin-2 production was greater in patients than controls with a significant increase in production at 150 ng/ml for patients alone (p = 0.037). Tumour necrosis factor alpha production was enhanced in all patients and controls, with a greater effect seen at 150 ng/ml THF gamma 2 than 50 ng/ml. There was no effect on interferon gamma production or on the expression of membrane markers of T-cell activation. THF gamma 2 has substantial immunomodulatory activity in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers and in vivo assessment of THF gamma 2 in chronic hepatitis B virus is indicated.
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PMID:THF gamma 2 stimulates cytokine release by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. 751 50