Measurements of humoral immunity during treatment with levamisole in rheumatoid arthritis--a review.
Treatment with levamisole in patients with rheumatoid arthritis reduced significantly titers of rheumatoid factor and the amount of circulating immune complexes as determined by the Clq binding activity. It took between three and six months to observe a significant effect. Levamisole treatment had less effect on the amount of immunoglobulins in serum: the values were rarely abnormal before treatment and the changes were small, but reached statistical significance at six months. The effect on complement and complement components could not be evaluated as properly controlled studies were lacking.
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D003172:Complement C1 / Q000032:analysis; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007978:Levamisole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003172:Complement C1; D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010919:Placebos; D007978:Levamisole; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor