PLASMA THYMIC HORMONE-ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MUCOCUTANEOUS CANDIDIASIS

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 34  (3) , 311-317
Abstract
To further characterize the immunological abnormalities in patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, the thymic hormone activity in their plasma was measured. Of 16 patients studied, 7 had chronic diffuse candidiasis, 5 had candidiasis with endocrinopathies and 4 had candidiasis with thymoma. An anergic child with chronic diffuse candidiasis had severe deficiency of plasma thymic hormone activity. A woman with candidiasis and multiple endocrinopathies and an elderly man with metastatic epithelial thymoma had supranormal values. The immunological deficit in most patients with these forms of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis probably is not due to deficiency of a thymic inductive activity. An intrinsic defect may exist in the maturation of antigen-responsive lymphoid cells.