Isoprinosine and
Imuthiol are
immunomodulators with a unique effect on T-cells. The possibility of using them in treating patients with
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome related complex (
ARC) was initially examined regarding their in vitro effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In six
ARC patients
Isoprinosine (100 micrograms/ml) and
Imuthiol (10 pg/ml) induced in vitro an early
chromatin activation as measured by nuclear refringency test and potentiated
phytohemagglutinin (5 micrograms/ml) in the same 20-min assay in the absence of
fetal calf serum. In all patients an early
phytohemagglutinin induced
chromatin dispersion was observed with a dose related response before
interleukin 2 production can occur.
Isoprinosine and
Imuthiol increased significantly both the percentage and the absolute number of T4+ cells when peripheral blood mononuclear cells were incubated for 4 days in RPMI supplemented with 10%
fetal calf serum. No changes in T8+ cells were noted. Three homosexual
ARC patients were then treated p.o. with
Imuthiol (5-10 mg/kg/week) for 4 to 6 months. Without any deleterious effect a clinical improvement (in terms of
adenopathy and
opportunistic infection regression) and restoration of the response to recall
antigens were observed in all three patients. One patient with less than 500 T4+ lymphocytes/mm3 exhibited a complete restoration of OKT profiles. In such patients clinical and immunological effects of
Isoprinosine have already been reported by others. Altogether these preliminary results indicate that more data should be obtained on the effects of these two agents in
ARC patients.