Effect of immunomodulator thymopentin on impaired seroresponse to influenza vaccine in patients on haemodialysis

Abstract

In a double-blind placebo-controlled multicentre study, the effect of the immunomodulator thymopentin (TP5) on the antibody production to trivalent influenza vaccine was tested in 108 patients on chronic intermittent haemodialysis (HD). Antibody production was determined in pre- and postvaccination sera. Compared to a group of 35 young healthy adult control subjects, HD patients showed a clearly impaired seroresponsiveness to all three vaccine components, regardless of treatment with TP5 or placebo. We conclude that TP5 administration is not able to enhance humoral immunity in patients on chronic intermittent HD.