In order to evaluate the effect of Thymulin, which is a thymic extract and known as one of the immunomodulating agents, 20 patients were prescribed the drug, orally one capsule(80 mR) twice a day during the radiation therapy(Thymulin group) and 28 patients were treated with radiotherapy only(RT grouP) randomly. The treatment field was medias- tinum in 29 patients and pelvis in 19, respectively. Age ranged from 36 to 73 years (mean and median; 57) and the male to female ratio was 1.3(27: 21). We evaluated the CBC with D/C, the blood chemistry, the lymphocyte subsets, and serum immunoglobulin level as parameters of the patient's immunological status. Drug intolerance was not observed in any patients. In the Thymulin group, the postirradiation decrease of white blood cell(WBC), lymphocyte, neutrophil, and basophil count was less than that of the RT group, and there was a statistical significance in the difference of the absolute lymphocyte count between two groups. In the peripheral bload lymphocyte subset study, the absolute number of CD4(helper T cell) and CD19(B cel1) were less reduced in the Thymulin group with statistical significance and the change of the other parameters was also less than that of the RT group. In the serum immunoglobulin level, the gostirradiation decrease was less in the Thymulin group and there was a marginal statistical significance in the difference of Ig A between two groups. From the above data, we can reach the conclusion that the combination of Thymulin may reduce the harmful effect of radiation therapy on immunity in cancer patients.
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