Acute effects of orally administered levamisole on random monocyte motility and chemotaxis in man

Cellular immune functions were studied in patients with early bladder cancer 2 hours after ingestion of either levamisole or a placebo. Random monocyte motility was significantly increased (P less than 0.025) in 13 of 17 patients receiving levamisole. Monocyte chemotaxis was significantly increased (P less than 0.025) in 16 of the 17 patients. Random monocyte motility and monocyte chemotaxis did not change in either 8 patients on the placebo or in 15 normal controls. Monocytes from normal donors showed increased random motility and chemotaxis after incubation with levamisole in vitro. These results indicated that increases in peripheral blood monocyte motility followed oral administration of levamisole. Kinetic studies indicated that these effects were rapid in onset and short lived.