GSPH-1: A potent stimulant of CD8(+) lymphocytes in HIV-infected patients

GSPH-1, an oral vegetal preparation, was administered to 10 HIV infected caucasian men with CD4(+) lymphocytes ranging from 76 to 422 cells/mm(3) at the outset of treatment. The group's increase of CD8(+) lymphocytes was 29.60% after 6 months of GSPH-1 therapy and 42.86% after 12 months. Analysis of variance at times T0, T6 and T12 months illustrated the significance of this elevation (F = 4.90; p = 0.02). Individually, 8 patients showed a significant increase of CD8(+) cells after 6 months of therapy. After 12 months of treatment, this increase was still significant in 7 subjects and after 24 months it remained significant in 5 patients. These 5 patients whose CD8(+) stimulation was sustained in time showed the most clinical benefits. The prolonged stimulation of CD8(+) cells seemed to require a threshold number of CD4(+) cells. No side-effects were observed during the 24 months of GSPH-1 therapy. This immunostimulant approach might also be useful for the development of a vaccine.