Reduction of the Immunosuppressive Action of Chemotherapeutics in Patients with Mammary Carcinoma by Azimexone

AbstractPatients treated by aggressive cytostatic treatment exhibit marked deficiencies in cell-mediated immunity.Our investigations were performed in order to find out whether these immunosuppressive effects could be diminished by supportive treatment with the new synthetic immunomodulating compound BM 12.531, INN: AZIMEXONE. After inducing remission in ten patients with metastasing breast cancer by a combination chemotherapy given for about one year, leucocytes, T- and B-lymphocytes and reactivity of peripheral lymphocytes to different mitogens were determined at weekly intervals before (8 ×), during (8 × while on 100 mg i.v. weekly, then 4 × while on 400 mg i.v. weekly) and after (4 ×) treatment with AZIMEXONE.Chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression could be markedly diminished during the administration of AZIMEXONE. A significant increase in the peripheral leucocyte count and mitogen-induced lymphocyte transformation could be achieved without any marked influence on the percentages of T- and B-cells. N...