Lymphocyte changes after long-term therapy of some neurological diseases

Hematologic investigations were carried out in 50 patients with various forms of epilepsy, aged 20 to 50 years, who had been treated for different periods of time with antiepileptic and neuroleptic drugs such as primidon, luminal and prasine. All the cytomorphological and cytochemical studies concerned the white blood cells, especially lymphocytes, and their transformation into plasma cells and histiomonocytes. The cytochemical investigations referred particularly to nucleolar-RNA, glycogen and lipid cellular content. The results obtained showed that the lymphocyte count and mostly that of the large and medium lymphocytes, may reach twice the normal or more. The transition forms towards histiomonocytes and plasma cells were quite frequent. Cytochemically, a variable state of reactivity of the nucleolar apparatus was demonstrated, as well as certain changes of the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The influence of such changes on the cellular and humoral immunity of the respective patients is discussed. Emphasis is also laid on the utility of such investigations for the detection of the untoward effects of antiepileptic and neuroleptic drugs on hematopoiesis.