Neutropenia during treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with levamisole

Abstract

Of 60 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with levamisole 35% showed a persistent decrease in neutrophil counts from pre-treatment levels and 6 (10 %) developed severe neutropenia of less than 1.0x 109/l. One of these neutropenic patients recovered without stopping therapy and the other 5 patients recovered rapidly when the drug was withdrawn. In some patients neutropenia recurred on reinstitution of levamisole.