Thymic hormone (THF) therapy in immunosuppressed children with lymphoproliferative neoplasia and generalized varicella.

Four children with lymphoproliferative malignant disease, two with acute lymphocytic leukemia in remission and two with Hodgkin's disease, were treated with a Thymic Hormone, THF, for disseminated varicella infecition. It is suggested that THF increased significantly the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes and T-rosette forming lymphocytes in 3 out of 4 children, who developed the varicella at the time of impaired cellular immunity. On the other hand, in the fourth child, with Hodgkin's disease, who had a normal number of T-rosettes, a decreased absolute number of lymphocytes as well as T-rosettes was observed over a course of 14 days THF treatment, although the percent of T-cells has not changed significantly. All of the four children recovered, including the child who was at high risk, with a marked lymphopenia, severe bilateral pneumonitis, hepatitis secondary infected skin lesions and psudomonas sepsis. It is indicated that THF therapy may restore the depressed cellular immunity in immunosuppressed children with malignant disease, and has its value as a supportive immunotherapy in life-threatening disseminated varicella infection.