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Study · Observational study · n = 275 · 2021

5 results

Thymosin Alpha-1 Has no Beneficial Effect on Restoring CD4+ and CD8+ T Lymphocyte Counts in COVID-19 Patients.

Wang Z, Chen J, Zhu C, Liu L, Qi T, Shen Y, Zhang Y, Xu L, Li T, Qian Z, Steinhart CR, Lu H

Frontiers in immunology3 Jun 2021Cited by 11 (Europe PMC)

PMID34149679 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC8209490 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.3389/fimmu.2021.568789 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-34149679
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Summary

Dysregulation of immune response was observed in COVID-19 patients. Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) is used in the management of COVID-19, because it is known to restore the homeostasis of the immune system during infections and cancers. We aim to observe the longitudinal changes in T lymphocyte subsets and to evaluate the efficacy of Tα1 for COVID-19. A retrospective study was conducted in 275 COVID-19 patients admitted to Shanghai public health clinical center. The clinical and laboratory characteristics between patients with different T lymphocyte phenotypes and those who were and were not treated with Tα1 were compared. Among the 275 patients, 137 (49.8%) were males, and the median age was 51 years [interquartile range (IQR): 37-64]. A total of 126 patients received Tα1 therapy and 149 patients did not. There were 158 (57.5%) patients with normal baseline CD4 counts (median:631/μL, IQR: 501~762) and 117 patients (42.5%) with decreased baseline CD4 counts (median:271/μL, IQR: 201~335). In those with decreased baseline CD4 counts, more patients were older (p<0.001), presented as critically ill (p=0.032) and had hypertension (p=0.008) compared with those with normal CD4 counts. There was no statistical difference in the duration of virus shedding in the upper respiratory tract between the two groups (p=0.214). In both the normal (14 vs 11, p=0.028) and the decreased baseline CD4 counts group (15 vs 11, p=0.008), duration of virus clearance in the patients with Tα1 therapy was significantly longer than that in those without Tα1 therapy. There was no significant difference in the increase of CD4+ (286 vs 326, p=0.851) and CD8+ T cell (154 vs 170, p=0.842) counts in the recovery period between the two groups with or without Tα1 therapy. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that severity of illness (p<0.001) and Tα1 therapy (p=0.001) were associated with virus clearance. In conclusion, reduction of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cell counts were observed in COVID-19 patients. Tα1 may have no benefit on restoring CD4+ and CD8+ T cell counts or on the virus clearance. The use of Tα1 for COVID-19 need to be more fully investigated.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study5

5 results from studies that gave the peptide. 5 results from people.

  1. 01HumanObservational studyEfficacy outcome

    In multivariate linear regression, Tα1 therapy was associated with virus clearance, as was severity of illness.

    In plain wordsIn COVID-19 patients, thymosin alpha‑1 use was linked to virus clearance time, as was how severe the illness was.

    Peptide
    Thymosin alpha-1
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedAssociation of Tα1 therapy with virus clearance in multivariate regression
    Study

    n = 275

    Comparator
    Patients without Tα1 therapy
    Outcome group
    Antiviral activity · Infection
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that severity of illness (p<0.001) and Tα1 therapy (p=0.001) were associated with virus clearance.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    A retrospective study was conducted in 275 COVID-19 patients admitted to Shanghai public health clinical center.
  2. 02HumanObservational studyEfficacy outcome

    In COVID-19 patients with normal baseline CD4 counts, duration of virus clearance was significantly longer with Tα1 therapy than without.

    In plain wordsIn COVID-19 patients with normal CD4 counts, the virus took longer to clear with thymosin alpha‑1 than without it.

    Peptide
    Thymosin alpha-1
    Outcome
    IncreaseDuration of virus clearance, normal baseline CD4
    Study

    n = 158

    Comparator
    Patients without Tα1 therapy
    Outcome group
    Antiviral activity · Infection
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Measurements

    Duration of virus clearance
    14 days
    Tα1, normal baseline CD4
    Duration of virus clearance
    11 days
    no Tα1, normal baseline CD4

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In both the normal (14 vs 11, p=0.028) and the decreased baseline CD4 counts group (15 vs 11, p=0.008), duration of virus clearance in the patients with Tα1 therapy was significantly longer than that in those without Tα1 therapy.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    A retrospective study was conducted in 275 COVID-19 patients admitted to Shanghai public health clinical center.
  3. 03HumanObservational studyEfficacy outcome

    In COVID-19 patients with decreased baseline CD4 counts, duration of virus clearance was significantly longer with Tα1 therapy than without.

    In plain wordsIn COVID-19 patients with low CD4 counts, the virus took longer to clear with thymosin alpha‑1 than without it.

    Peptide
    Thymosin alpha-1
    Outcome
    IncreaseDuration of virus clearance, decreased baseline CD4
    Study

    n = 117

    Comparator
    Patients without Tα1 therapy
    Outcome group
    Antiviral activity · Infection
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Measurements

    Duration of virus clearance
    15 days
    Tα1, decreased baseline CD4
    Duration of virus clearance
    11 days
    no Tα1, decreased baseline CD4

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In both the normal (14 vs 11, p=0.028) and the decreased baseline CD4 counts group (15 vs 11, p=0.008), duration of virus clearance in the patients with Tα1 therapy was significantly longer than that in those without Tα1 therapy.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    A retrospective study was conducted in 275 COVID-19 patients admitted to Shanghai public health clinical center.
  4. 04HumanObservational studyEfficacy outcome

    In COVID-19 patients, the increase in CD4+ T cell count in the recovery period did not differ significantly with or without Tα1 therapy.

    In plain wordsIn COVID-19 patients, thymosin alpha‑1 made no clear difference to the rise in CD4 T cells during recovery.

    Peptide
    Thymosin alpha-1
    Outcome
    No significant changeIncrease in CD4+ T cell count in recovery period
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Patients without Tα1 therapy
    Outcome group
    Immune response · Immune and inflammation
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Measurements

    CD4+ T cell count increase
    286 cells/μL
    Tα1
    CD4+ T cell count increase
    326 cells/μL
    no Tα1

    Source sentences

    Summary
    There was no significant difference in the increase of CD4+ (286 vs 326, p=0.851) and CD8+ T cell (154 vs 170, p=0.842) counts in the recovery period between the two groups with or without Tα1 therapy.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    A retrospective study was conducted in 275 COVID-19 patients admitted to Shanghai public health clinical center.
  5. 05HumanObservational studyEfficacy outcome

    In COVID-19 patients, the increase in CD8+ T cell count in the recovery period did not differ significantly with or without Tα1 therapy.

    In plain wordsIn COVID-19 patients, thymosin alpha‑1 made no clear difference to the rise in CD8 T cells during recovery.

    Peptide
    Thymosin alpha-1
    Outcome
    No significant changeIncrease in CD8+ T cell count in recovery period
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Patients without Tα1 therapy
    Outcome group
    Immune response · Immune and inflammation
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Measurements

    CD8+ T cell count increase
    154 cells/μL
    Tα1
    CD8+ T cell count increase
    170 cells/μL
    no Tα1

    Source sentences

    Summary
    There was no significant difference in the increase of CD4+ (286 vs 326, p=0.851) and CD8+ T cell (154 vs 170, p=0.842) counts in the recovery period between the two groups with or without Tα1 therapy.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    A retrospective study was conducted in 275 COVID-19 patients admitted to Shanghai public health clinical center.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 3Current

    10 Oct 2026, 08:55 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 2

    9 Oct 2026, 03:03 UTC

    Study data updated · source update from Europe PMC

  3. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 03:02 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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