Immunomodulation of neutrophil chemotaxis in rheumatoid arthritis using levamisole and methisoprinol

The inflammatory process of rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by an alteration in neutrophil function and an accompanying increase in the number of these cells within the joint space. Both inhibition of peripheral neutrophil chemotaxis and the paradoxic and concomitant deleterious effects of overreactive synovial neutrophils are expressions of an imbalance within the immune system. Levamisole and methisoprinol have been found to improve the alterations in cellular function and immune response. We studied the in vitro effect of these drugs on neutrophil function in four patients with rheumatoid arthritis whose basal chemotaxis was seriously inhibited. Levamisole and methisoprinol improved neutrophil chemotaxis by inducing, in monocytes incubated with these drugs, the production of an important chemotactic factor effective on the altered neutrophils. We suggest that the use of these drugs is beneficial in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.