Thymopentin in chronic Trichophyton rubrum infection.

The case histories of 2 patients with chronic Trichophyton rubrum infections are presented. Both subjects had previously been treated systemically with griseofulvin, but had to be dropped from therapy due to adverse reactions. Topical treatment alone yielded unsatisfactory results. Thymopentin, 50 mg, administered subcutaneously three times weekly for a period of 6 weeks, induced rapid improvement within 3 weeks and almost complete remission 3 weeks later, although the fungi were still present on the skin. This beneficial effect lasted for up to 7 months after cessation of thymopentin therapy. Reinstitution of treatment produced the same response pattern. The clinical and immunological implications of these findings are briefly discussed; thymopentin is believed to enhance the suggested impaired cellular immunity in patients with chronic T. rubum infections.