Levamisole in infectious diseases--a review of the literature.

Levamisole is toxic to a range of nematodes with gastrointestinal and systemic localization. Since nematodes are characterized by an immunologically determined pattern of predilections for hosts and tissues, pharmacological, biochemical, and immunological properties must be considered when the mechanism of action of levamisole is discussed. Levamisole causes a reversible stimulation of ganglia and neuromuscular inhibition of the depolarizing type, inhibits nematode-specific succinate dehydrogenase and increases delayed hypersensitivity reactions. The latter effect is mediated by immune cells and may explain why levamisole alleviates chronic and recurrent infections, particularly in patients with immunodeficiency syndromes.