Induction of Suppressor Activity on B‐Cell Differentiation in Human T‐Cell Subset without Fc(IgG) Receptors by Levamisole Administration

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Abstract
A single oral dose of 150 mg levamisole was administered to five healthy adults. Circulating Fc(IgG) receptor‐bearing T cells (Tγ cells) increased for 5 days after levamisole intake, but total E rosette‐forming cells showed no significant alterations. The generation of immunoglobulin‐producing cells in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), which was induced in the in vitro pokeweed mitogen (PWM)‐stimulated cultures, was significantly suppressed for 5 days after levamisole administration. Suppressor T‐cell activity on B‐cell differentiation, which was induced by levamisole intake, was evaluated by co‐culturing with allogeneic untreated adult PBL in the PWM system in six other volunteers. A seemingly dose‐dependent suppression on B‐cell differentiation was exerted by T cells isolated on day 3 of levamisole treatment, but not by T cells which were isolated before or on day 14 of the experiment. When T cells were fractionated into two subsets with regard to the presence or absence of Fc(IgG) receptors, suppressor T‐cell activity appeared to be generated by levamisole largely in T cells lacking Fc(IgG) receptors, but not in Tγ cells.