Clinical usefulness of continuous administration of Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (N-CWS) in diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB).

Eight patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) who had repeated intractable airway infections were continuously treated with Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (N-CWS), a biological response modifier. As a result, subjective symptoms were reduced in 6 patients. Antibiotics therapy could be discontinued completely in two patients and the dose of antibiotics could be reduced considerably in two other patients. No adverse reactions in relation to N-CWS were observed. These results suggest that N-CWS is effective in treating erythromycin-resistant DPB.