Management of severe atopic dermatitis with thymostimulin
Wisuthsarewong, W.; Viravan, S.
Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 85(Suppl): S749-S754
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-2208 PMID: 12403256 Document Number: 1726
Two patients with severe atopic dermatitis unresponsive to conventional therapy were enrolled in a clinical trial on thymostimulin (TP-1). TP-1 was administered by subcutaneous injection 1 mg/kg/day for 14 days and then 1 mg/kg/day on alternate days for 2 months. Clinical and immunological status were evaluated at baseline and at regular intervals during the treatment. Clinical severity scores included eight skin conditions (erythema, edema, vesicle, crust, excoriation, scaling, lichenification, pigmentation), two subjective components (itchiness and loss of sleep), and extent of area affected. There was a statistically significant improvement in the overall assessment of the severity scores. There were no definite changes in immunological parameters including CD4, CD8 T-cell subpopulations and serum IgE, but eosinophil count showed a mark decrease in one case. No serious side effects were observed.