Abstract
This study was performed to observe the therapeutic effects of interferon-gamma ($IFN-{\gamma}$) and gamma-globulin (${\gamma}-globulin$) in experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia of immune suppressed mice. After 9 weeks, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxaBole(TMP-SMZ; 10~50 mg/mouse/day), mouse $IFN-{\gamma}(5{\times}10^4$ units/mouse/day) and mouse ${\gamma}-globulin$(20 mg/mouse/day) were administered to the mice for 3 weeks by the experimental group. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by body weights, histopatholo단ic and electron microscopic findings of the lungs, and number of p. carinii cysts by Gomori's methenamine silver stain. Body weights of the mice were significantly increased in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}{\;}or{\;}{\gamma}-globulin$, and in the group of TMP- SMZ treatment(p<0.05), however, little effect was found in the group of T-globulin alone. Histopathologic 6ndings of p. carinii pneumonia were much improved in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}$. Treatment with either TMP-SMZ or $IFN-{\gamma}$ significantly reduced the number of cysts in the p. carinii pneumonia, but {\gamma}-globulin alone was ineffective. In electron microscopic findings of p. carinii pneumonia, the number of trophozoites and cysts were reduced by treatment with either TMP-SMZ or $IFN-{\gamma}$, and most of the cysts were empty or containing one or two intracystic bodies. The present results suggested, that combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}$ had synergistic effects in treatment of P carinii pneumonia in experi- mental mice.
