S4S

24. ZINC AND BESTATIN AS IUUUNOREGULATORS IN CANCER PATIENTS.

Math& G., Canon C., Wimset J-L., Blazsek I., Gil-Delgado M.

Brienza S., Uuaset M., Florentin I.

Service des Maladies Sanguines et Tumorales & I.C.I.G. (Univ.

Paris Sud, CNRS UA 04-1163, Assoc. Cl. Bernard & ARC),

Hopital Paul-Brousse, 94804 Villejuif, France.

Zinc ie an oligoelement neceeeary for T cell differentiation and

maturation. 42 patiente, with Aide Related Complex or malignancy in

remieeion and with eevere and stable CD4 lymphoid cells. Cytopenla

were eubmitted to Zinc Gluconate, 125mgtwice dally orally for three

weeks. Reevaluation of T cell eubeete one week after the end of Zinc

intake showed no eignificant modification of total lymphocyte counts

nor of CD4 eubsete. CD8 cells however were eignificantly increased in

absolute number in those patients with initially low counts of these

cells while they were significantly reduced In thoee patients with

initially normal or high CD8t cell counts. Beetatin ie a dipeptlde

with antiproteaee and major immunomodulating properties in mice.

34pte with similar defects were treated by Beetatin 30mg/day 3 days

per week during three weeks. Reaaeeeeement of T cell subeeta after

completion of Beetatin therapy showed a aignif icant improvement of

the absolute number of CD4 cells in peripheral blood. CD8 subsets

whether initially increased or decreased were modified towards

normalieation but the modification reached atatieticalefgnificance

only in the aubgroup with initial absolute defect of CD8 cells.

CD4/CD8 ratio was significantly increased. Given in thie setting

Bestatin appears to be an inducer of CD4 cells while Zinc acts as a

regulator of CD8 cells.