Effect of uremic serum on E-rosette formation of normal lymphocytes modulated by levamisole.

The number of E-rosette forming cells of lymphocytes from healthy subjects was determined under various experimental conditions. Sera from 16 chronic hemodialysis patients were incubated with lymphocytes from 16 matched normal subjects. The effect of levamisole on this combination was studied. Uremic serum markedly inhibited E-rosette formation of normal lymphocytes. Pretreatment with levamisole completely prevented this effect, whereas levamisole treatment following incubation with uremic serum resulted in a partial correction of the E-rosette formation. The hypothesis best fitting these results is that a factor present in uremic serum blocks sheep red cell receptors on normal lymphocytes; levamisole, having a greater affinity for these receptors, prevents or partially corrects the effect of the blockade.