Effect of levamisole on the auto-antibody formation in nude mice.

The effects of levamisole on the formation of antibody to double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA), an auto-antibody, and to some thymus-dependent antigens were studied in nude (nu/nu) mice. The antibody titre to ds-DNA in nu/nu mice treated with levamisole was lower than that in control animals. The number of Thy-1-antigen-positive (Thy-1+) cells in the spleen from nu/nu mice treated with levamisole was higher than that from non-treated animals. It is suggested that the Thy-1+ cells were induced by levamisole in nu/nu mice and these cells suppressed the formation of antibody to ds-DNA, whereas the formation of antibody to a DNP-conjugate (OVA) and SRBC, thymus-dependent antigens, was not evoked in nu/nu mice after the treatment with levamisole.