[Effect of penicillin and erythromycin on immunity in angina].

The number of T- and B-lymphocytes in the blood of patients with quinsy was practically the same with the use of either penicillin (101 persons) or erythromycin (115 persons). The immunoglobulin concentration in the patients treated with penicillin at the beginning of the disease was normal, while during the period of reconvalescence the concentration of IgA and IgM increased. The concentration of IgA in the patients treated with erythromycin decreased at the beginning of the disease, especially when the disease was repeated. During the reconvalescence period it came to normal, while the level of IgM increased. When the patients were treated with penicillin, the increase in the titers of antistreptolysine-0- and antistreptokinase in the course of the disease was observed in 17.5 and 33.3 per cent of the patients, respectively. When the patients were treated with erythromycin the respective figures were 29.1 and 53.0 per cent. The shifts in the count of blood neutrophils including the functionally active ones in both groups of the patients were the same. It is concluded that penicillin prevented formation of humoral immunity in patients with quinsy because of its rapid antibacterial effect eliminating stimulation of the host immunocompetent cells. Erythromycin in addition inhibited production of IgA. The antibiotics had no effect on the number of T- and B-lymphocytes and neutrophils in the blood and function of T-lymphocytes and microphages.