Effects of Levamisole on the Phagocytic Function of Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils from Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Incubation of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with levamisole increased the ability of those cells to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT). PMN cells from SLE patients treated with levamisole had an increased ability to reduce NBT compared with PMN cells taken before treatment.

Lysosomal enzymes and metabolic activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and from experimental animals after levamisole treatment

“…Yet the phagocytic function of PMNs appears also to be deranged. PMNs from SLE patients have been found to have a lower ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) [25], and from our results it follows that lysosomal enzyme activities of these cells are also disturbed. It is generally accepted that levamisole is able to restore mainly these functions of cells involved in cell-mediated immune responses which are below normal.…”

“…It is generally accepted that levamisole is able to restore mainly these functions of cells involved in cell-mediated immune responses which are below normal. In conformity with that, levamisole therapy resulted in a significant reduction of a variety of clinical parameters of SLE along with the increase of a number of originally depressed T-lymphocytes and the increased ability of PMNs to reduce NBT or INT compared with PMN cells taken before treatment [5,25].…”

“…This reduction is caused by all mechanisms involved, while in the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the superoxide does not participate in INT reduction. As levamisole was able to increase NBT and INT reduction in PMNs from SLE patients [5,25], we studied this effect of levamisole in PMNs from normal, healthy subjects. We have ascertained ( Table 4) that levamisole had no influence on INT reduction by phagocytizing or non-phagocytizing PMNs with or without the presence of SOD.…”