title: Chemoprophylaxis with erythromycin stearate or amoxycillin in patients with chronic bronchitis--effects on cellular and humoral immune functions.
abstract: Twenty-six patients aged between 27 and 71 years with chronic bronchitis were divided into a control group of 6 and two groups of 10 patients each who received either erythromycin stearate or amoxycillin 1500 mg/d for 2 weeks and 1000 mg/d for 12 weeks thereafter. Immunological function tests were performed before starting chemotherapy and thereafter at 2 weeks and 14 weeks. Clinical evaluations and lung function tests showed no significant changes in any of the groups during the study period. In the control group no changes in cellular and humoral immune functions were noted. In the group receiving amoxycillin decreased responses of lymphocytes to the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin were observed after 14 days. In the erythromycin-treated group, increased polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMNL) motility and mitogen-induced transformation were observed at 14 days but these increases were not statistically significant. In this group the markedly depressed PMNL migration found in 3 individuals before treatment improved considerably. These results indicate that chemotherapy and chemoprophylaxis with either amoxycillin or erythromycin stearate do not compromise the host immunodefences.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D004917:Erythromycin; D000658:Amoxicillin; C011462:erythromycin stearate