Levamisole: a double blind immunological study.
The immunological effects of a 4-week course of levamisole have been assessed by a randomised double blind study of a group of cancer patients judged to have a poor prognosis. No change in immunological status was recorded during a 6 months follow up, using a battery of tests including DNCB response. Mantoux response, lymphocyte count, PHA stimulation and serum immunoglobulin levels. 38% of patients complained of side-effects from the levamisole and 17% stopped the treatment. It is concluded that any beneficial effects of levamisole in patients with advanced cancer may be mediated by a non-immunological mechanism, or by some immunological process other than those studied here, or may require a longer period of administration than 4 weeks. Variation in skin test results in the placebo group throw some doubt on previous reports of immunopotentiation of cancer patients by levamisole.
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene / Q000276:immunology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000187:drug effects; D007978:Levamisole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene; D007978:Levamisole