The influence of prolonged treatment with D-penicillamine on the immune response in Wilson's disease

Humoral and cell-mediated immunity were studied in a group of patients with Wilson's disease not previously treated with D-penicillamine, and in a group of patients treated with the drug for more than two years. The previously untreated patients showed an exaggerated humoral immune response, i. e. increased levels of IgG and, IgM, higher titer of antibodies to Kunin's antigen, and depression of cell-mediated immunity, namely a decreased response to DNCB, decreased lymphocyte transformation after stimulation with Con A, PPD, Candida and streptokinase and a reduced response to streptokinase in the MIF test. After treatment the humoral response returned to normal, and in the case of IgA and antibodies to S. typhi O antigen, it even dropped below normal values. The cell-mediated immune response returned to normal with the exception of lymphocyte transformation by PHA and Candida albicans. In in vitro studies it was found that D-penicillamine had no influence on lymphocyte transformation when PHA and Con A were used as mitogens. With PPD as antigen, lymphocyte stimulation and migration inhibition were inhibited by concentrations of penicillamine ranging from 6 to 1000 microgram/ml.