The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 73, 189-194, Copyright © 1977 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
In vitro evidence for increased cellular immunity to lung cancer antigen during Levamisole immunotherapy
MM Urist, AW Boddie Jr, CM Townsend Jr and EC Holmes
Levamisole, a potentiator of cell-mediated immunity, has been reported to
increase survival in patients with resectable carcinoma of the lung.
Cell-mediated immunity can be measured in vitro by the leukocyte migration
inhibition test. We have previously reported that this test detects
cell-mediated immunity to human lung tumor antigens. In the present
studies, patients with lung cancer were treated with Levamisole. Their
leukocytes were evaluated in the leukocyte migration inhibition assay
before, during, and following Levamisole therapy. Small increases in
cell-mediated immunity were observed when patients had a high pre-existing
tumor immunity. When tumor-associated reactivity was absent prior to
therapy, larger increases were measured. Although Levamisole is a
nonspecific immunostimulant, these data indicate that in vitro anti-tumor
immune responses are enhanced by Levamisole therapy. Augmentation of
cell-mediated immunity to tumor antigens may explain the clinical benefits
of Levamisole therapy.
