Effects of famotidine on various immunological parameters in patients with rheumatic diseases: decreased lymphocyte DR expression by famotidine.
We examined the effect of famotidine, a histamine-type 2 receptor antagonist, on the immunocompetent cells. The number of DR(+) cells were significantly decreased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (P less than 0.05) by parenteral administration of famotidine (40 mg/days for 4 weeks). However, total lymphocyte number and monocyte number did not change. Immunoglobulin levels of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and normal male did not change. Furthermore, phytohemagglutinin induced lymphocyte proliferation was increased by addition of famotidine (10 ng/ml). Nonetheless, famotidine did not have mitogenic function itself to lymphocyte and did not affect IL-2 production.
Matsukawa
Y
Y
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Sawada
S
S
Horie
T
T
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D015738:Famotidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015738:Famotidine