Immunological abnormalities and hydantoins.

Various immunological features were measured in 20 patients with epilepsy who had received prolonged treatment with hydantoins. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) was shown to be absent or low in five patients, beta(1)C/A was low in 10 patients. Five patients showed negative reactions to skin tests, and two could not be sensitized to dinitrochlorobenzene. The corresponding features were normal in 14 control patients with epilepsy but without hydantoins. It is suggested that the hydantoins influence humoral immunity, whereas other immunosuppressant agents have been found to affect cellular immunity.