Hypermethylation of thymosinβ4 predicts a poor prognosis for patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure

Background:It has been demonstrated that thymosinβ4(Tβ4)could inflect the severity of acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure(ACHBLF),but the relationship between its methylation status and the prognosis of liver failure is not clear.This study aimed to determine Tβ4 promoter methylation status in patients with ACHBLF and to evaluate its prognostic value.Methods:The study recruited 115 patients with ACHBLF,80 with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B pre-liver failure(pre-ACHBLF),and 86 with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).In addition,there were 36 healthy controls(HCs)from the Department of Hepatology,Qilu Hospital of Shandong University.The 115 patients with ACHBLF were divided into three subgroups:33 with early stage ACHBLF(E-ACHBLF),42 with mid-stage ACHBLF(M-ACHBLF),and 40 with advanced stage ACHBLF(A-ACHBLF).Tβ4 promoter methylation status in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)was measured by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction,and mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results:Methylation frequency of Tβ4 was significantly higher in patients with ACHBLF than in those with pre-ACHBLF,CHB or HCs.However,expression of Tβ4 mRNA showed the opposite trend.In patients with ACHBLF,Tβ4 promoter methylation status correlated negatively with mRNA levels.The 3-month mortality of ACHBLF in the methylated group was significantly higher than that in the unmethylated group.Also,Tβ4 promoter methylation frequency was lower in survivors than in non-survivors.When used to predict the 1-,2-,and 3-month incidence of ACHBLF,Tβ4 methylation status was better than the model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)score.The predictive value of Tβ4 methylation was higher than that of MELD score for the mortality of patients with E-ACHBLF and M-ACHBLF,but not for A-ACHBLF.Conclusions:Tβ4 methylation might be an important early marker for predicting disease incidence and prognosis in patients with ACHBLF.

Preparation and in vitro release studies of thymosin-loaded PLA microspheres

To obtain a kind of convenient oral dosage form of protein, which can be fully absorbed and is efficient and safe, the thymosin-loaded PLA（polylactic acid） microspheres are prepared by the emulsification- solvent evaporation method and the orthogonal design is used to optimize the technology of preparation. The form of the medicament microspheres of thymosin are proved by differential thermal analysis （DTA）. The drug content is determined by the Lowry method, and the package ratio of medicament microspheres of thymosin and drug release in vitro are calculated. The results show that the average diameter and encapsulation efficiency of the product prepared according to the optimized formulation are 13. 8 μm and 80. 7%, respectively. The in vitro release behavior within 12 h can be described by the Higuchi equation with T1/2 = 295 rain. There are no significant changes in size distribution and residual drug contents after being stored at 25℃ and 40 ℃ for 90 d, respectively. Due to the fact that its thymosin content and package ratio meet the requirement, and its releasing half life is long, the thymosin-loaded PLA microsohere has a favorable application future.

A randomized controlled clinical trial on the treatment of Thymosin-a1 versus interferon-α in patients with hepatitis B

INTRODUCTIONChronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious problem because of its world wide distribution and possible adverse sequelae ,such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma .The World Health Organization estimates that HBV has infected mord than 350 million people worldwide ,and up to 20% of them will become chromic carricrs and will be at significant risk for cirrhosis and HCC .The ultimate goal of the therapy for chronic hepatitis B is to prevent progression to cirrhosis and to prevent development of HCC.

家蝇Thymosin(THY)基因的克隆及原核表达

采用EST测序技术从构建的家蝇(Musca domestica)幼虫c DNA质粒文库中筛选到胸腺肽(Thymosin,THY)基因,以该基因的c DNA文库质粒为模板,设计引物,通过PCR扩增,测序鉴定,获得THY基因完整编码序列。运用生物信息学方法对该基因及其编码蛋白的基本理化性质、信号肽和亚细胞定位等方面进行预测和分析。构建p ET-28a(+)-THY重组质粒,转化到大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中进行诱导表达。研究结果表明,THY基因ORF全长384 bp,编码127个氨基酸,理论分子量14.3 k D,等电点为5.22,具有THY家族的蛋白保守结构域。构建重组原核质粒p ET-28a(+)-THY,经IPTG诱导,蛋白在大肠杆菌中获得表达,经亲和层析柱纯化获得目的蛋白,Western blot检测发现纯化的目的蛋白大小正确。

Serum thymosin β4 levels in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver failure

AIM:To investigate whether serum thymosinβ4 can provide diagnostic or prognostic information in liver failure patients caused by chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection. METHODS:Serum thymosinβ4 levels were measured in 30 patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF), 31 patients with chronic liver failure(CLF),30 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis(CR)and 32 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 30 healthy controls.Serum thymosinβ4 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Child-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)scores were calculated for each patient on admission.RESULTS:Compared with healthy controls,serum thymosinβ4 levels in ACLF,CLF,CR and chronic hepatitis B patients were significantly lower,6.5047 (4.7879-10.5314)μg/mL vs 0.4632(0.2759-0.8768) μg/mL,0.6981(0.5209-1.2008)μg/mL,1.8053 (0.8110-2.3397)μg/mL,3.7803(1.8570-6.4722)μg/mL, respectively(P<0.001).The levels of thymosinβ4 in liver failure(ACLF or CLF)patients were markedly lower than that in CR(P<0.001),and a difference was also found between CLF and ACLF patients(P=0.038).In patients with chronic liver disease,there was a positive relationship between thymosinβ4 levels and albumin, choline esterase,and platelet(P<0.001),and negative relationship with alanine aminotransferase(P=0.020), aspartate aminotransferase,total bilirubin,international normalized ratio of prothrombin time,and Child-Pugh and MELD scores(P<0.001).Of the 61 liver failure patients,the thymosinβ4 levels of non-survivors were significantly lower than that of survivors(P=0.007). Receiver operating characteristics analysis identified a thymosinβ4 cutoff level of 0.5708μg/mL for predicting poor prognosis in all liver failure patients.The serial thymosinβ4 values were observed in 13 liver failure inpatients.Lower initial values were observed in the death.While greater improvement in thymosinβ4 value was found in those who recovered from the disease. CONCLUSION:Serum thymosinβ4 can be used as an important potential predictor for liver failure caused by chronic HBV infection.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying thymosin β4 suppresses experimental colitis in mice

AIMTo investigate the protective effect of a recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying thymosin β4 (AAV-Tβ4) on murine colitis via intracolonic administration.METHODSAAV-Tβ4 was prepared and intracolonically used to mediate the secretory expression of Tβ4 in mouse colons. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was applied to induce the murine ulcerative colitis, and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) was used to establish a mouse colitis model resembling Crohn’s disease. The disease severity and colon injuries were observed and graded to reveal the effects of AAV-Tβ4 on colitis. The activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined using biochemical assays. Colonic levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-10 were measured using ELISA, and mucosal epithelial cell apoptosis and proliferation were detected by TUNEL assay and immunochemistry, respectively.RESULTSRecombinant AAVs efficiently delivered LacZ and Tβ4 into the colonic tissues of the mice, and AAV-Tβ4 led to a strong expression of Tβ4 in mouse colons. In both the DSS and TNBS colitis models, AAV-Tβ4-treated mice displayed distinctly attenuated colon injuries and reduced apoptosis rate of colonic mucosal epithelia. AAV-Tβ4 significantly reduced inflammatory cell infiltrations and relieved oxidative stress in the inflamed colons of the mice, as evidenced by decreases in MPO activity and MDA content and increases in SOD activity. AAV-Tβ4 also modulated colonic TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10 levels and suppressed the compensatory proliferation of colonic epithelial cells in DSS- and TNBS-treated mice.CONCLUSIONTβ4 exerts a protective effect on murine colitis, indicating that AAV-Tβ4 could potentially be developed into a promising agent for the therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Efficacy of thymosin alpha-1 and interferon alpha in treatment of chronic viral hepatitis B:A randomized controlled study

AIM： To observe the efficiency and safety of thymosin-α1 treatment in patients with hepatitis B e antigen （HBeAg） and HBV DNA positive chronic hepatitis. METHODS： Sixty-two patients were randomly divided into groups A and B. The patients in group A received subcutaneous injection of 1.6 mg thymosin-α1, twice a week （T-α1 group） for six months, and the patients in group B received 5 MU interferon alpha （IFN-α） each day for fifteen days, then three times weekly （IFN-α group） for six months. The results between two groups treated with and the group untreated with IFN-α which was followed up for 12 mo （historical control group consisting of 30 patients） were compared, and three groups were comparable between each other （P 〉 0.05） at baseline （age, sex, clinical history, biochemical, and serological parameters）. RESULTS： At the end of treatment, complete response, which was defined as alanine aminotransferase （ALT） normalization and HBV DNA and HBeAg loss, occurred in 9 of 29 （31.0%） patients in the T-α1 group and in 15 of 33 （45.5%） patients in the IFN-α group （χ^2= 1.36, P 〉 0.05）. After a follow-up period of six months, a complete response was observed in 14 of 29 （48.3%） patients in the T-α1 group and in 9 of 33 （27.3%） patients in the IFN-α group （χ^2= 2.93, P 〉 0.05）. Compared with the results observed in the historical control （HC） group untreated with IFN-α which was followed up for 12 mo, the rate of complete response was significantly higher in IFN-α group at the end of therapy （1 of 30 vs 15 of 33, 7：2 = 14.72, P 〈 0.001） and in the T-α1 group at the end of follow-up （1 of 30 vs 14 of 29,χ^2 = 15.71, P 〈 0.001）. In T-α1 and IFN-α treatment groups, the area under （the plasma concentration time） curve （AUC） of negative HBV DNA and HBeAg was 340, 17%, 31% and 19% smaller than that in the HC group. By the end of the follow-up period, the proportions of ALT normalization and negative HBV DNA in the T-α1 group were significantly higher than those in the IFN-α and HC groups. The odds of ALT normalization and negative HBV DNA at the end of the follow-up was three-fold higher in the T-α1 group than in the IFN-α group. Unlike IFN-α, T-α1 was well tolerated by all patients, and no side effects appeared in T-α1 group. CONCLUSION： The results suggest that a 6-too course of T-α1 therapy is effective and safe in patients with chronic hepatitis B. T-α1 is able to reduce HBV replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Furthermore, T-α1 is better tolerated than IFN-α and can gradually induce more sustained ALT normalization and HBV DNA and HBeAg loss. However, a response rate of 48.3% is still less ideal. A more effective therapeutic approach warrants further study.

Construction, expression and characterization of human interferon α2b-(G4S)n-thymosin α1 fusion proteins in Pichia pastoris

AIM:Interferon α2b (IFNα2b) and thymosin α1 (Tα1) exhibit synergic effects in the treatment of hepatitis B and hepatitis C when used together. For developing a fusion protein drug, fusion proteins of IFNα2b and Ta1 linked by different lengths of (G4S)n(n = 1-3) were constructed and expressed in Pichia pastoris. METHODS: Using PCR and molecular clone techniques, the fusion genes of IFNα2b-(G4S)n-Tα1 (n = 1-3) were constructed and subcloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pPIC9. After transformation of these plasmids into P. pastoris, the expressed fusion proteins IFNα2b-(G4S) n-Tα1 (n = 1-3) were obtained. These proteins were purified through diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) affinity chromatography and Superdex?75 gel filtration and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. Antiviral and E-rosette assays were used to investigate the bioactivities of these fusion proteins. RESULTS: DNA sequencing confirmed that the fusion genes of IFNa2b-(G4S)n-Tα1 (n= 1-3) were correctly cloned to the pPIC9 vector. The recombinant IFNα2b-(G4S)n-Tα1 (n = 1-3) fusion proteins expressed in P. pastoris were purified with DEAE and Superdex?75 gel filtration chromatography. The fusion proteins could be observed on sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with molecular weight (MW) of 23.2, 22.9, and 22.6 ku, respectively, and reacted to the IFNa2b monoclonal antibody and Tal polyclonal antibody. The purified fusion proteins exhibit antiviral activity and can enhance the percentage of E-rosette-forming-cell in E-rosette assay. CONCLUSION: The recombinant IFNa2b-(G4S)n-Tα1 (n = 1-3) fusion proteins were successfully expressed in P. pastoris. Purified fusion proteins exhibit both antiviral activity of IFNa2b and immunomodulatory activity of Tal in vitro. These results will be the basis for further evaluation of the fusion proteins' function in vivo.

Preliminary results of Thymosin-a1 versus interferon-α treatment in patients with HBeAg negative and serum HBV DNA positive chronic hepatitis B

INTRODUCTIONIn China ,the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer rank the second among all cancers. Recent development of cancer [1-20].The aim of this study was investigat the insight of apoptosis and bcl-2, p53 and C-myc protein expression in the development of gastric cancer .

Thymosin alpha 1:A comprehensive review of the literature

Thymosin alpha 1 is a peptide naturally occurring in the thymus that has long been recognized for modifying,enhancing,and restoring immune function.Thymosin alpha 1 has been utilized in the treatment of immunocompromised states and malignancies,as an enhancer of vaccine response,and as a means of curbing morbidity and mortality in sepsis and numerous infections.Studies have postulated that thymosin alpha 1 could help improve the outcome in severely ill corona virus disease 2019 patients by repairing damage caused by overactivation of lymphocytic immunity and how thymosin alpha 1 could prevent the excessive activation of T cells.In this review,we discuss key literature on the background knowledge and current clinical uses of thymosin alpha 1.Considering the known biochemical properties including antibacterial and antiviral properties,timehonored applications,and the new promising findings regarding the use of thymosin,we believe that thymosin alpha 1 deserves further investigation into its antiviral properties and possible repurposing as a treatment against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2.

Immunomodulatory function of orally administered thymosin α1

Objective： To investigate the immunological function of a yeast expression system for thymosin α1 （Tα1）. Methods： A constructed Tetl yeast expression system was used to investigate the immunological function of orally administered Tα1. Dried yeast containing three different concentration of Tα1 was fed to normal Balb/c mice and other Balb/c mice whose immunities were inhibited in advance by cyclophosphamide. Synthesized Tα1 peptide was used as positive control and dried yeast with empty plasmid was used as negative control. CD4^＋ and CD8^＋ levels were detected by flow cytometry assay. TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were detected by liquid chip. Results： In normal Balb/c mice or immune inhibition Balb/c mice, CD8^＋ levels were significantly increased. Especially in immune inhibition Balb/c mice, CD8^＋ levels in synthesized Tα1 group （18.77%±4.72%）, small dose group （13.48%±6.17%） and large dose group （22.74%±1.09%） were significantly higher than that in empty yeast control group （7.49%±2.14%）. Conclusion： Orally administered Tα1 has its certain immunomodulatory function.

Molecular characteristics of three thymosin-repeat proteins from Marsupenaeus japonicus and their responses to WSSV infection

β-thymosins, a family of highly conserved peptides, play a vital role in wound-healing, angiogenesis,antimicrobial process and antiviral immunity. Three novel β-thymosin-repeat proteins, named mjthm4, mjthm3 and mjthm2, were cloned from Marsupenaeus japonicus using expressed sequence tags（EST） from suppression subtractive hybridization. The mjthm4, mjthm3 and mjthm2 c DNAs possessed open reading frames that encoded166, 128 and 90 amino acid residue polypeptides and contained four, three and two β-thymosin actin binding modules, respectively. Blast analysis demonstrated that mjthm4, mjthm3 and mjthm2 shared high homology with known invertebrate multi-repeat β-thymosins. These proteins are ubiquitously expressed in all of the examined tissues, and the transcriptional levels were highest in the intestine. Further investigation revealed that mjthm4,mjthm3 and mjthm2 were remarkably up-regulated 6 h after WSSV infection. Moreover, while mjthm4 transcriptional levels displayed no changes, mjthm3 and mjthm2 levels decreased in the virus-resistant shrimps.The results indicate that mjthm4, mjthm3 and mjthm2 are novel multi-repeat β-thymosin homologues, have a close relationship with WSSV infection, and might contribute to a better understanding of host defense and/or virus invasion interactions in shrimps.

Thymosin <i>β</i>4 Improves Neurological Outcome and Enhances Induced Oligodendrogenesis in the Rat after ICH

Thymosin β4 (Tβ4), a G-actin binding protein, has diverse biological functions. This study tested the effects of Tβ4 on oligodendrogenesis in a rat model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ICH was induced by stereotactic injection of 100 μm of autologous blood into the striatum in 32 male Wistar rats. The rats were randomly divided into four groups: 1) saline control group (n = 8);2) 3 mg/kg Tβ4-treated group (n = 8);3) 6 mg/kg Tβ4-treated group (n = 8);and 4) 12 mg/kg Tβ4treated group (n = 8). Tβ4 or saline was administered intraperitoneally starting at 24 h post ICH and then every 3 days for 4 additional doses. The neurological functional outcome was evaluated by behavioral tests (i.e., modified Neurological Severity Score and corner turn test) at multiple time points after ICH. Animals were sacrificed at 28 days post ICH, and histological studies were completed. Tβ4 treatment improved neurological functional recovery significantly and increased actively proliferating oligodendrocytic progenitor cells and myelinating oligodendrocytes in the ICH-affected brain tissue, compared with the saline-treated group. The high-dose treatment of Tβ4 showed better restorative effects compared with the low-dose treatment. Tβ4 treatment enhanced ICH-induced oligodendrogenesis that may contribute to the enhanced functional recovery after ICH. Further investigation is warranted to determine the associated underlying mechanisms of Tβ4 treatment for ICH.

Thymosin as a possible therapeutic drug for COVID-19:A case report

BACKGROUND There are no effective antiviral therapies for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)at present.Although most patients with COVID-19 have a mild or moderate course of disease,up to 5%-10%of patients may have a serious and potentially life-threatening condition,indicating an urgent need for effective therapeutic drugs.The therapeutic effect of thymosin on COVID-19 has not been previously studied.In this paper,for the first time we report a case of thymosin treatment of COVID-19.CASE SUMMARY A 51-year-old man with imported COVID-19 was admitted with definite symptoms of chest tightness,chest pain,and fatigue.The polymerase chain reaction results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were negative.The antibody test was positive,confirming the diagnosis of COVID-19.As many orally administered drugs were not well tolerated due to gastrointestinal symptoms,an emergency use of thymosin,a polypeptide consisting of 28 amino acids,was administered by injection.Finally,after the implementation of the treatment program,symptoms and lung imaging improved significantly.CONCLUSION In this case report,it is confirmed that thymosin may help alleviate the severity of COVID-19 symptoms.

Thymosin α-1能治疗乙型肝炎吗

目前,对慢性活性乙型肝炎还没有治疗方法。但 Thymosia α-l临床研究的初步材料提示,该肽(由华盛顿的 Alpha 1 Biomedicals 公司研制)可能治疗该疾病。Milton Mutchnick (密歇根州底特律的 Wayne州立大学)正主持这一研究。据称。

Cloning and Expression of Recombinant Human Thymosin in Yeast Pichia pastoris

The gene of human thymosin alpha 1(hT(1)was synthesised according to favorite codons of Pichia pastoris by PCR. N-terminal 28 amino acid residues of 40S ribosomal protein (RP), S24E that is N-acetylserine were replaced by hT(1 for the constitution of hT(1-RP fusion gene in order to express acetyllated thymosin α 1. And also,the Asn-Gly bond was designed to faciliate isolation of the target protein.The fusion gene was cloned into the expression vector, pPIC/9K. The constructs were transformed into HIS4 mutant strain GS115 by electroporation. Both SDS-PAGE analysis and Western blot analysis indicated that the fusion protein was expressed successfully.

Thymosin β4 promotes angiogenesis and increases muscle progenitor cell density in ischemic skeletal muscle in a mouse model of hind limb ischemia

Aim: To determine the therapeutic effect of thy- mosin β4 (Tβ4) for treatment of ischemic limb disease in a mouse model. Methods: A mouse model of hindlimb ischemia was created by permanent ligation of femoral arteries and internal iliac artery. Tβ4 was dissolved in sterile saline and intramuscularly injected into the centre and periphery of ligation area in the treatment group (n = 10) starting from the surgery day until 4 weeks after surgery, while control animals received saline injection only (n = 9). All animals were sacrificed at 6 weeks after surgery and used for immunohistochemistry studies. Results: Tβ4 stimulated angiogenesis was evidenced by increased vascular density based on CD31 immunostaining, which was sig- nifycantly increased in Tβ4 group (562.5 ± 78.4/mm2) as compared with control group (371.1 ± 125.7/mm2;p 0.05) groups. Tβ4 increased Pax3/7+ skeletal muscle progenitor cell density. Pax3/7+ cell density of Tβ4 group (13.7% ± 2%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (4.3% ± 1.6%, p < 0.05). However, the numbers of central nuclei fiber and central nuclei per fiber were insignificantly increased in Tβ4 group as compared to control group. The numbers of central nuclei fiber were 8.9 ± 2.1 and 9.5 ± 1.6, and the central nuclei per fiber were 0.25 ± 0.07 and 0.48 ± 0.09 for control and Tβ4 groups, respectively. Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that localized delivery of Tβ4 increased angiogenesis and skeletal muscle progenitor cell density in ischemic skeletal muscle, but failed to promote skeletal muscle regeneration.

Thymosinβ4 Impeded Murine Stem Cell Proliferation with an Intact Cardiovascular Differentiation

Thymosin β4（Tβ4） is a key factor in cardiac development, growth, disease, epicardial integrity, blood vessel formation and has cardio-protective properties. However, its role in murine embryonic stem cells（m ESCs） proliferation and cardiovascular differentiation remains unclear. Thus we aimed to elucidate the influence of Tβ4 on m ESCs. Target genes during m ESCs proliferation and differentiation were detected by real-time PCR or Western blotting, and patch clamp was applied to characterize the m ESCs-derived cardiomyocytes. It was found that Tβ4 decreased m ESCs proliferation in a partial dose-dependent manner and the expression of cell cycle regulatory genes c-myc, c-fos and c-jun. However, m ESCs self-renewal markers Oct4 and Nanog were elevated, indicating the maintenance of self-renewal ability in these m ESCs. Phosphorylation of STAT3 and Akt was inhibited by Tβ4 while the expression of RAS and phosphorylation of ERK were enhanced. No significant difference was found in BMP2/BMP4 or their downstream protein smad. Wnt3 and Wnt11 were remarkably decreased by Tβ4 with upregulation of Tcf3 and constant ？-catenin. Under m ESCs differentiation, Tβ4 treatment did not change the expression of cardiovascular cell markers α-MHC, PECAM, and α-SMA. Neither the electrophysiological properties of m ESCs-derived cardiomyocytes nor the hormonal regulation by Iso/Cch was affected by Tβ4. In conclusion, Tβ4 suppressed m ESCs proliferation by affecting the activity of STAT3, Akt, ERK and Wnt pathways. However, Tβ4 did not influence the in vitro cardiovascular differentiation.

Effect of ulinastatin + thymosin adjuvant therapy on inflammatory and stress response in patients with severe pneumonia

Objective: To investigate the effect of ulinastatin + thymosin adjuvant therapy on inflammatory and stress response in patients with severe pneumonia. Methods: A total of 66 patients with severe pneumonia who were diagnosed and treated in Huanggang Central Hospital between July 2016 and July 2017 were divided into control group (n=33) and study group (n=33) by random number table. Control group received routine therapy for severe pneumonia, and study group received routine therapy combined with ulinastatin + thymosin adjuvant therapy, which lasted for 1 week. The differences in serum levels of inflammatory factors and stress hormones were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results: Before treatment, the differences in serum levels of inflammatory factors and stress hormones were not statistically significant between the two groups. After 1 week of treatment, serum levels of inflammatory factors and stress hormones of both groups of patients were lower than those before treatment, serum levels of pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α as well as anti-inflammatory factors IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 of study group were lower than those of control group, and serum stress hormones AngⅠ, AngⅡ, NE and Cor levels were lower than those of control group. Conclusion: Routine therapy combined with ulinastatin + thymosin adjuvant therapy can further inhibit the systemic inflammatory response and stress response and optimize the overall condition in patients with severe pneumonia.

Thymosin β4可能减少心脏损害

一篇在11月25日Nature杂志上发表的研究显示，由美国RegeneRx生物制药公司研发的Thymosin β4(Ⅰ)是一种天然生成的肽类物质，(Ⅰ)可明显减少组织损伤、心室的疤痕形成和心室扩大，并改善心脏功能。这一研究发现是在诱发小鼠心脏病后立刻给予(Ⅰ)后观察到的。