[Thymostimulin in the therapy of bronchiolitis: clinical evaluation in a controlled study]

Twenty-eight infants with bronchiolitis were randomized divided into two groups. Clinical diagnosis was made by scores indicated by the Bronchopneumology Study Laziale. Group one received thymostimulin (TP-1 Serono: 1.5 mg/kg/die for five days), while in the second group it was not administered. Interferon concentration in frozen serum (-20 degrees C) was evaluated at entry and after 48 hours. Etiology, severity grade and clinical characteristic were similar in both groups; this has made reliable the present evaluation. Although, in the first four days clinical score was slightly lower in the first group than in the second, there were not observed differences with statistics significance and hospitalization was similar in both groups. Because there has been described in literature an increase in interferon's production after TP-1 administration we evaluated the influence of this hormone on interferon's production. There were no differences with statistics significance with or without treatment. This study has not showed an important TP-1's efficiency in the treatment of bronchiolitis.