Polyethylene glycol-modified interleukin-2 and thymosin alpha 1 in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.
Ramachandran. R R; Katzenstein. D A DA; Winters. M A MA; Kundu. S K SK; Merigan. T C TC
Key Findings
- PEG‑IL‑2 infusions raised CD4 T‑cell numbers by 30‑40%
- Thymosin‑alpha‑1 gave no extra CD4 increase after PEG‑IL‑2
- No increase in HIV viral load or activation was seen with either drug
- Both agents were safe with no major side effects
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, thymosin‑alpha‑1 alone doesn’t appear to boost immune cell counts in this setting and adds no clear benefit over PEG‑IL‑2. The study shows it’s safe at 400‑1600 µg/m² weekly, but without efficacy it’s not a priority for healthy longevity protocols.
Summary
In a small study of HIV patients with very low immune cells, a modified form of IL‑2 boosted CD4 counts by about a third, but adding thymosin‑alpha‑1 didn’t raise them any further. Neither treatment sparked the virus to grow, and both were well tolerated.
Abstract
The safety and antiviral effects of polyethylene glycolated interleukin-2 (PEG-IL-2) and thymosin alpha 1 in addition to zidovudine were studied in 12 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects with 50-250 CD4 T cells/mm3. PEG-IL-2 was administered by intravenous infusions every 2 weeks at 10(6) IU/m2 for 20 weeks. Thymosin alpha 1 was administered subcutaneously at 400 microgram/m2 after four doses of PEG-IL-2, escalating to 1600 microgram/m2 weekly for an additional 2 months. Significant elevations of CD4 T cell numbers of 30%-40% were seen after PEG-IL-2 infusions, but no additional increase in CD4 cell count was observed with thymosin alpha 1. Virologic monitoring by polymerase chain reaction quantitation of proviral DNA and plasma RNA and p24 antigen assays showed no evidence of increased HIV activation during PEG-IL-2 or thymosin alpha 1 therapy. Patients tolerated both PEG-IL-2 and thymosin alpha 1 without significant toxicities.
Study Information
pubmed
1996
10.1093/infdis/173.4.1005