Neutrophil function in surgical patients: in vitro correlation of abnormal neutrophil chemotaxis by Levamisole.

Cutaneous anergy to recall skin test antigens is associated with decreased polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) chemotaxis (CTX). This decreased PMN chemotaxis is mediated by factors circulating in the sera (AS) from patients with anergy. Levamisole hydrochloride will correct the chemotactic defect of neutrophils from anergic patients, in vitro, from 96.2 +/- 1.2 to 125.1 +/- 1.7 microns at concentrations of 10(-3) M to 10(-18) M. Pretreatment of normal PMN with Levamisole at 10(-4) M will protect them from the chemotactic inhibiting effect of AS. Normal PMN migrating in the normal range, 128.1+/- 2.7 microns, can be made to behave like anergic PMN by treatment with AS. These PMN which now migrate in the anergic range 92.1 +/- 1.7 microns can be converted back to normal by Levamisole treatment at 10(-3) M to 10(-18) M. In 35 surgical patients who demonstrated the spectrum of decreased PMN CTX, the majority toward the anergy level, Levamisole improved the PMN CTX toward normal levels in every instance, while not affecting the CTX of the normally migrating PMN.