Document 0061 DOCN M9490061 TI Immunomodulation by levamisole in patients with recurrent aphthous ulcers or oral lichen planus. DT 9411 AU Sun A; Chiang CP; Chiou PS; Wang JT; Liu BY; Wu YC; School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, ROC. SO J Oral Pathol Med. 1994 Apr;23(4):172-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94322276 AB The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of levamisole on the immune system of patients with recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) or oral lichen planus (OLP) in an open trial. Lymphocyte subsets, serum immunoglobulins, and circulating immune complexes (CIC) in patients with RAU or OLP and in normal control subjects were determined by an indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) technique with monoclonal anti-lymphocyte antibodies, by single radial immunodiffusion, and by precipitation with 3% polyethylene glycol, respectively. In addition, the anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-basal cell antibodies (anti-BCA) in sera were detected by an IIF technique. We found a significant improvement in clinical symptoms and normalization of the decreased CD4/CD8 ratio in RAU patients after levamisole treatment. Moreover, the decreased CD4/CD8 ratio, which persisted until the remission stage in the untreated RAU patients, reverted to normal in the active late stage in the levamisole-treated patients. This reversion of aberrant cellular immunity in an earlier stage of the ulcer cycle may explain why RAU patients experience symptom improvement after levamisole treatment. Although RAU patients treated with levamisole for 1 to 3 or 4 months still had higher than normal levels of CIC and serum immunoglobulins, the levels of their IgA and IgM returned to normal values after 4 months of levamisole treatment. The serum ANA detected in 6 patients with RAU and 3 patients with erosive OLP disappeared after 1-22 months of levamisole treatment. The disappearance of serum anti-BCA was also observed in 50% of the anti-BCA-positive patients with erosive OLP after 3-13 months of levamisole treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) DE Adolescence Adult Aged Antibodies, Antinuclear/BLOOD/DRUG EFFECTS Antigen-Antibody Complex/BLOOD/DRUG EFFECTS Case-Control Studies Child CD4-CD8 Ratio/DRUG EFFECTS Female Human IgA/BLOOD/DRUG EFFECTS IgG/BLOOD/DRUG EFFECTS IgM/BLOOD/DRUG EFFECTS Immunoglobulins/*DRUG EFFECTS Levamisole/*THERAPEUTIC USE Lichen Planus, Oral/DRUG THERAPY/*IMMUNOLOGY Male Middle Age Stomatitis, Aphthous/DRUG THERAPY/*IMMUNOLOGY T-Lymphocyte Subsets/*DRUG EFFECTS T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/DRUG EFFECTS T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/DRUG EFFECTS T4 Lymphocytes/DRUG EFFECTS JOURNAL ARTICLE SOURCE: National Library of Medicine. NOTICE: This material may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).