Immunocorrection Therapy: Drugs and Prospects

Russ J Immunol. 2000 Jul;5(2):165-176.

Abstract

The analysis has been made for the basic immunocorrection drugs, used in clinical practice. By their features, the drugs are divided into 6 groups: immunoactive structures of pathogens, polyelectrolites, inductors of IFN-alpha, thymic hormones and their analogs, bone marrow regulators (myelopeptides) and cytokines. The first 3 groups of drugs are characterized by the inductive mechanism of action, whereas thymic hormones, myelopeptides and cytokines by the substitutive mechanism. The substitutive immunomodulators are preferential drugs at the advanced stages of infection. Immunocorrection should be used by the adequate courses and under the control of clinical dynamics, immunogram or differential blood counts. Transplantation of heterologous tissues and organs, transfusion of blood cell fractions and the first trimester of gestation may be called as contraindications for administration of immunocorrection. The high clinical efficiency of immunocorrection is shown on the usage of leukinferon in an extremely severe human pathology, such as sepsis, complicated by syndrome of polyorgan insufficiency.