Levamisole in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease.

In vitro and in vivo action of levamisole has been studied in patients with Hodgkin's disease. In vitro levamisole significantly increased the active T cell count of 35 untreated active patients, of those being in complete remission after treatment and of 19 healthy controls; it significantly raised the total T cell count of patients. However, levamisole could not further improve the considerably increased active and total spontaneous rosette formation resulting from in vivo levamisole treatment. Twenty patients with Hodgkin's disease, being in complete remission, were given levamisole for 3 or 6 months, according to 2 different schedules. Levamisole (150 mg) given on 3 consecutive days of every second week for 3 months considerably increased the number of positive skin tests (from 8/60 to 29/60), the numbers of active and total T cells with unchanged absolute lymphocyte count, and decreased the quantity of circulating immune complex. Continuation of treatment for another 3 months resulted in slight, but consistent, decline in all the above parameters; the ratio of active T cells significantly decreased. This decline was even more pronounced if a raised larger dosage of levamisole was administered for 6 months. In the course of the treatment no side-effect or complication was observed. Levamisole is able to improve the weak cellular immune reactivity of patients with Hodgkin's disease, it can, however, result in undesired suppression in the case of too long treatment with high dose.