Urinary tract infections in the aged: improvement with thymostimulin

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Urology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) are prevalent in aged patients.
• Antibiotic resistance and recurrent infections pose significant challenges.
• Immunomodulatory therapies are being explored to augment conventional treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of thymus extract (thymostimulin) in treating chronic UTIs in aged patients.
• To assess the impact of thymostimulin on clinical symptoms, infection recurrence, and cellular immunity.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 30 aged patients with chronic UTIs.
• Comparison between treatment groups: antibiotic therapy alone vs. antibiotic therapy plus thymostimulin.
• Monitoring of clinical symptoms, infection persistence/recurrence at 30 and 90 days.
• Assessment of cellular immunity markers (T-lymphocytes, rosettes, PHA).

Main Results:

• Thymostimulin combined with antibiotics reduced the severity and duration of UTI symptoms (strangury, dysuria, pollakiuria).
• A marked reduction in reinfection frequency and persistent infections was observed at 90 days in the thymostimulin group.
• Significant increases in cellular immunity tests (T-lymphocytes, rosettes, PHA) were noted during thymostimulin treatment, contrasting with pre-treatment immunodepression.

Conclusions:

• Thymostimulin demonstrates potential as an effective adjunct therapy for chronic UTIs in the elderly.
• The treatment appears to enhance cellular immunity, contributing to reduced infection recurrence.
• Further research into immunomodulatory agents like thymostimulin for chronic infections is warranted.