Immunologic effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Recent studies of the immunoregulatory effects of prostaglandin and the immunomodulating actions of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reveal that earlier reports of inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cannot alone fully explain the anti-inflammatory properties of these agents. Data defining the complex inter-relationship of prostaglandin, the immune response, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are reviewed, and possible mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action of these agents are considered. The effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on cellular immune function and humoral immune response suggest that anti-inflammatory activity may be related to altered suppressor cell function, inhibition of monocyte collagenase release, or inhibition of neutrophil migration and activation. Further elucidation is awaited.