[The effect of the immunomodulator likopid on cytokine synthesis and on the activation molecules of the peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with lichen ruber planus].

Clinical and immunological efficacy of immunomodulator likopide has been studied in patients with lichen planus. The levels of peripheral blood lymphocytes and CD3+ lymphocytes, containing antiinflammatory cytokine gamma-interferon in the cytoplasm, are increased in these patients. Likopide therapy led to a notable decrease in the content of lymphocytes and CD3+ lymphocytes containing this cytokine. The count of lymphocytes containing inflammatory cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the cytoplasm is the same in patients with lichen planus and donors. Likopide stimulated the production of this interleukin by peripheral blood mononuclears. Expression of early activation antigen CD69 on CD3+ and CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes can be a sign of improvement of these cells' function. The drug had a pronounced clinical effect in virtually all forms of lichen planus, which may be due to suppression of the activity of TH1 cells producing inflammatory cytokines and an increase in the functional activity of TH2 cells producing antiinflammatory cytokines and to normalization of the functional activity of T lymphocytes, manifesting by a higher expression of early activation antigen CD69 involved in the production of IL-2.