Restoration by levamisole of low E-rosette forming cells in patients suffering from various diseases

Abstract

One hundred and fifteen patients presenting with various clinical conditions (multiple sclerosis, recurrent infections, HBAg-positive chronic hepatitis, Crohn's disease, ataxia-telangiectasia, SSPE and atopic dermatitis) were evaluated for E-rosette formation. Forty-two patients were found to have a low number of E-rosettes. Eighteen patients with low E-rosettes were treated with levamisole, an anti-anergic chemotherapeutic agent, and were compared with an untreated control group of sixteen patients. Levamisole treatment significantly increased low E-rosettes in these patients and this was accompanied by a remarkable clinical improvement and a significant reduction of haemolytic complement activity. Therefore our results suggest the important role of T-cell function in these various clinical conditions, in which cell-mediated immunity is thought to play a major role.