title: 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.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology; D001260:Ataxia Telangiectasia / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000276:immunology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D007978:Levamisole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007978:Levamisole