Low thymosin alpha-1 concentrations in patients chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus.
Sherman. K E KE; Jones. C C CC; Goldstein. A L AL; Naylor. P H PH
Key Findings
- Chronic hepatitis B patients have significantly lower serum thymosinâalphaâ1 (â1555âŻpg/ml) than healthy controls (â2159âŻpg/ml).
- Thymosinâalphaâ1 levels do not correlate with HBe antigen/antibody status or liver enzyme levels.
- HBV carriers exhibit reduced CD4+ helper Tâcell counts, suggesting a link between low thymosinâalphaâ1 and weakened immunity.
Practical Outcomes
- The study hints that low thymosinâalphaâ1 may contribute to immune deficits in chronic hepatitis B. While it doesnât test supplementation, biohackers might consider monitoring this peptide or exploring safe ways to support its levels, but more research is needed before adopting any specific protocol.
Summary
People with chronic hepatitis B have lower levels of the immuneâboosting peptide thymosinâalphaâ1 in their blood, and they also show fewer helper Tâcells, which could weaken their immune response.
Abstract
Serum concentrations of thymosin alpha-1 (TA-1), an immunoregulatory peptide, were assayed in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and volunteer blood donor controls. Coded samples were tested using a radioimmunoassay. The TA-1 concentrations in HBsAg-positive patients averaged 1555 pg/ml, whereas in the control group, the mean TA-1 in serum was 2159 pg/ml (P less than 0.001). Similar results were found for age- and sex-matched pairs. The TA-1 concentration was not associated with HBe antigen/antibody status or with values of liver-associated enzymes. Analysis of T-cell subsets in nine HBsAg carriers revealed significantly decreased CD4 (helper)-cells, both in absolute numbers and as the percentage of total lymphocytes present. These data suggest that individuals with chronic hepatitis B infection have a relative deficiency of the immunomodulatory peptide TA-1, which may contribute to the characteristics of the resultant T-cell population.
Study Information
pubmed
1991
10.1089/vim.1991.4.195