Bemitil and immune markers in chronic hepatitis
S. V. Okovityi, O. V. Ivanova, A. A. Boykova, N. M. Kalinina, N. I. Davydova, V. G. Radchenko, S. N. Shulenin · 2005 · Medical Immunology (Russia). 2005;7(1):93–99.
Reported findings and study design
Reported findings
The authors describe a blinded randomized placebo comparison. Both arms received background care. Bemitil was 250 mg twice daily for three 5-day courses separated by 2-day breaks. Table 1 lists 100 Bemitil and 40 placebo patients, including 30 and 20 with cirrhosis, respectively. Thirty healthy people were reference controls. Measurements included flow cytometry, circulating immune complexes and a cytokine subset of five.
| Measure | Result | Comparison, timing and statistics |
|---|---|---|
| CD3+ T cells | 829.52 vs 628.84 cells/µL | Bemitil (n=70) vs placebo (n=20), noncirrhotic subgroup · Day 21 · p<0.05 between arms |
| CD4+ T cells | 558.44 vs 400.72 cells/µL | Bemitil vs placebo · Day 21 · p<0.05 between arms |
| CD19+ B cells | 59.85 vs 159.32 cells/µL | Bemitil vs placebo · Day 21 · p<0.05 between arms |
| Circulating immune complexes | 45.52 vs 101.73 assay units | Bemitil vs placebo · Day 21 · p<0.05 between arms |
| Interferon-alpha | No significant effect reported | Small cytokine subset, five per reported group |
Selected blood markers in noncirrhotic chronic hepatitis (Tables 2–3)
| Measure | Bemitil baseline | Bemitil day 21 | Placebo baseline | Placebo day 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD3+, cells/µL | 518.13 ± 59.11 | 829.52 ± 60.90 | 573.12 ± 33.79 | 628.84 ± 42.17 |
| CD4+, cells/µL | 307.34 ± 45.58 | 558.44 ± 59.81 | 377.52 ± 51.04 | 400.72 ± 49.16 |
| CD8+, cells/µL | 266.25 ± 25.17 | 394.41 ± 37.84 | 249.20 ± 32.59 | 326.02 ± 36.86 |
| CD19+, cells/µL | 100.73 ± 15.35 | 59.85 ± 10.14 | 121.73 ± 15.85 | 159.32 ± 13.92 |
| Immune complexes, assay units | 91.40 ± 5.85 | 45.52 ± 4.31 | 94.00 ± 12.11 | 101.73 ± 9.62 |
Means ± standard error. The paper gives p<0.05 for the post-treatment comparison for each row. Groups include several etiologies.
Higher T-cell counts and lower B-cell counts describe a mixed immune response. The paper does not establish viral clearance or prevention of cirrhosis progression.
Source for these results ↗ · Reviewed 2026-11-10
For research and education. Consult a qualified clinician for medical advice.
Study limitations and source details
Study limitations
- The paper calls the design blinded and randomized but gives limited details on sequence generation and concealment.
- The text reports 210 enrolled patients, while Table 1 accounts for 140 patients across treatment arms. The paper separately describes 30 healthy controls and five exclusions without reconciling those totals.
- Results primarily concern laboratory markers, and overlap with the authors’ related 2002 chronic-liver report is unresolved.
Source access
Original seven-page journal PDF. Methods and selected results from Tables 1–6 checked.
Source reviewed 2026-11-10.
Citation and original source
Original source: S. V. Okovityi, O. V. Ivanova, A. A. Boykova, N. M. Kalinina, N. I. Davydova, V. G. Radchenko, S. N. Shulenin. Bemitil and immune markers in chronic hepatitis Medical Immunology (Russia). 2005;7(1):93–99. 2005.
Molekul research summary: https://molekul.io/research/bemitil-okovityi-hepatitis-immunity-2005. Cite the original publication for its findings and this page when referring to Molekul’s summary or evidence appraisal.
Bibliography entry