title: The effect of the doxycycline-rifampicin and levamisole combination on lymphocyte subgroups and functions of phagocytic cells in patients with chronic brucellosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brucellosis is one of the important health problems for both humans and animals in Turkey since agriculture and stock raising appears to be the most important means of subsistence. Investigations on the pathogenesis of brucellosis reveal that the etiologic agent can survive in phagocytic cells, and cell-mediated immunity plays an important role in immunity against bacteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we investigated whether supplementation of levamisole, a well-known antihelminthic agent with immune-stimulating activity to conventional antibiotic therapy, would improve the anergy against Brucella.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of our study reveal that a 6-week course of levamisole as a supplement to conventional antibiotic therapy in chronic brucellosis is not superior to conventional antibiotic treatment alone with respect to lymphocyte subgroup ratios and phagocytic function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In chronic brucellosis, levamisole administered as a supplement concomitantly with conventional antibiotic therapy has no immunostimulating effect on the basis of the lymphocyte subgroups ratios measured and the ability of phagocytosis in the present study. Further large clinical and laboratory trials are necessary to investigate the immunological and physiological effects of levamisole on T(H1) subtypes and cytokine secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey. ufukdizer@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dizer
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hayat
authors.forename: Can Murat
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Beker
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Görenek
authors.forename: Volkan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ozgüven
authors.forename: Alaaddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pahsa
mesh_terms: D017347:Brucella melitensis / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007978:Levamisole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D007978:Levamisole; D004318:Doxycycline; D012293:Rifampin