[HTML][HTML] Growth hormone enhances thymic function in HIV-1–infected adults

LA Napolitano, D Schmidt, MB Gotway… - The Journal of …, 2008 - Am Soc Clin Investig
LA Napolitano, D Schmidt, MB Gotway, N Ameli, EL Filbert, MM Ng, JL Clor, L Epling…
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2008Am Soc Clin Investig
Growth hormone (GH) is an underappreciated but important regulator of T cell development
that can reverse age-related declines in thymopoiesis in rodents. Here, we report findings of
a prospective randomized study examining the effects of GH on the immune system of HIV-1–
infected adults. GH treatment was associated with increased thymic mass. In addition, GH
treatment enhanced thymic output, as measured by both the frequency of T cell receptor
rearrangement excision circles in circulating T cells and the numbers of circulating naive …
Growth hormone (GH) is an underappreciated but important regulator of T cell development that can reverse age-related declines in thymopoiesis in rodents. Here, we report findings of a prospective randomized study examining the effects of GH on the immune system of HIV-1–infected adults. GH treatment was associated with increased thymic mass. In addition, GH treatment enhanced thymic output, as measured by both the frequency of T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles in circulating T cells and the numbers of circulating naive and total CD4+ T cells. These findings provide compelling evidence that GH induces de novo T cell production and may, accordingly, facilitate CD4+ T cell recovery in HIV-1–infected adults. Further, these randomized, prospective data have shown that thymic involution can be pharmacologically reversed in humans, suggesting that immune-based therapies could be used to enhance thymopoiesis in immunodeficient individuals.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation