Clinical, biochemical and immunological effectiveness of diacetyl-splenopentin (BCH 069) in hay fever.

Diacetyl-splenopentin (BCH 069) is a new pentapeptide of splenin modified by twofold acetylation. BCH 069 has thymopentin-like activity demonstrated by in vivo animal and in vitro human studies. Two groups of patients received 50 mg BCH 069 and placebo, respectively, by subcutaneous injection 3 times weekly for 4 weeks. The third group of patients received 50 mg BCH 069 by intravenous injection 3 times weekly for 6 weeks. The therapy was carried out during the peak of the pollen season. BCH 069 intravenous treatment was found to be significantly superior to placebo treatment in reducing clinical symptoms. Biochemical inflammatory signs were not observed. No increase of bronchomotoric reactivity was established in comparison to the placebo group. There was a significantly lower increase in gras-spollen specific IgE and IgG4 in the intravenous group of BCH 069. Subcutaneous therapy with BCH 069 was not effective. The study demonstrated that BCH 069 used intravenously induces clinical improvement in patients suffering from hay fever. Thus the possibility to influence hyperreactive conditions of the immune system has been confirmed. The study indicates that various application routes of BCH 069 have different effects on the immune system.