The possibilities of predicting allergic effects of new antirheumatics.

The new antirheumatic drugs Benzofenac and Flobufen were assessed for their possible influence on various immunological parameters. They were shown to enhance passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) to ovalbumin in rats and to suppress the numbers of helper and suppressor T-lymphocytes in mice. The effect of Benzofenac in the latter system was found to be more pronounced. The drugs had no effects in any of the other test systems, including the development of delayed hypersensitivity, mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in vitro and the production of antisera (as tested by PCA).