POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF UKRAIN (NSC 631570) IN AIDS PATIENTS WITH KAPOSI'S SARCOMA

VOLTCHEK I.V.1*, LIEPINS A.2, NOWICKY J.W.3, BRZOSKO W.J.4

1) Medical Academy of Postgraduate Studies, Saltykov-Schedrine str., 41, St. Petersburg, 193015, Russia.
2) Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3V6, Canada.
3) Ukrainian Anti-Cancer Institute, Margaretenstrasse 7, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
4) Roch Brzosko Memorial Centre for Natural Medicine, Willowa 8/10, 00-790, Warsaw, Poland.

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Summary: In this study two case reports are presented of therapy with Ukrain, a semi-synthetic thiophosphoric acid compound of alkaloids isolated from Chelidonium majus L., for the treatment of AIDS patients with Kaposi's sarcoma. Ukrain was injected i.v. in the dose of 5 mg every other day for a total of 10 injections. During treatment the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions diminished in size, showed decolouration and no lesion appeared in the 30-day interval after the beginning of treatment. Both patients tolerated Ukrain well and showed an improved immunohaematological status: an increase in total leukocytes, T-lymphocytes and T-supressor numbers. In one case T-helper lymphocytes were also increased. Future investigations are necessary for the evaluation of Ukrain efficacy in the treatment of this type of patients.