Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients are particularly vulnerable to infections, which remain a leading cause of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality in this group. Xueying Chen and colleagues from the Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, sought to determine whether thymopentin, an immunomodulatory peptide, could lower infection risks and improve immune function among PD patients.
The study analyzed data from 100 patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. Participants were divided into two groups: a control group receiving standard therapy and a thymopentin group that received standard therapy combined with thymopentin. The drug was administered subcutaneously at 10 mg daily for five days, followed by 10 mg three times a week for 23 weeks. All patients were monitored for a total of 48 weeks to assess infection rates, immune parameters, and inflammatory biomarkers.
The study revealed the following findings:
- The thymopentin group showed a lower incidence of infections compared to the control group (0.73 vs. 1.00 per person-year).
- Infection rate reduction, including peritonitis, was statistically significant.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed a 46% reduction in overall infection risk among thymopentin-treated patients (HR = 0.54).
- Interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) levels significantly increased at 12 and 24 weeks, indicating enhanced immune activation.
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels decreased notably at 12 weeks, suggesting reduced inflammation.
- Serum albumin levels improved consistently at both follow-up intervals.
- Thymopentin treatment did not significantly affect CD3⁺, CD4⁺, or CD8⁺ T-cell counts or the CD4/CD8 ratio, implying primarily anti-inflammatory rather than lymphocyte-modulating effects.
- No increase in adverse events was observed, highlighting thymopentin’s good safety and tolerability in peritoneal dialysis patients.
The authors acknowledged some study limitations, including a relatively small sample size, the single-center design, and the focus on a Chinese patient population, which may limit the generalizability of findings. Additionally, factors such as dialysis adequacy and peritoneal transport characteristics were not assessed. The study also disclosed partial funding from the manufacturer of thymopentin, though data analysis and interpretation were conducted independently.
In conclusion, thymopentin use in peritoneal dialysis patients was linked to a reduced risk of infections—particularly peritonitis—and improvements in inflammatory and nutritional indicators. With no observed safety concerns, thymopentin presents as a potentially valuable adjunct therapy for infection prevention in PD patients. However, the researchers emphasized the need for larger, multicenter prospective trials to confirm these findings and further define thymopentin’s clinical role in long-term dialysis care.
Reference:
Chen, X., Ruan, Y., Xie, J. et al. Effectiveness and safety of thymopentin for infection prophylaxis in peritoneal dialysis patients: a retrospective study. BMC Nephrol 26, 538 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04465-w
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