Abstract: Autoimmune diseases, cell adhesion inhibition and immunomodulation are treated or effected by a method, comprising, treating a patient with a therapeutically effective amount of a 4H-1-benzopyran-4-one compound represented by the following formula or a salt thereof: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is an unsubstituted or halogen-substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aryl group; R.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or acyl group; R.sup.3 is a hydrogen or halogen atom or a cyano, azido, carboxyl, hydroxyl, formyl or alkoxycarbonyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy, phenoxy, cycloalkyl, carbamoyl, amino or phenyl group; R.sup.4 is a hydrogen or halogen atom, a nitro, cyano, carboxyl, acyl, hydroxyl or alkoxycarbonyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, phenylthio, alkynyl, alkenyl, sulfamoyl, alkanesulfonyl, alkanesulfonyl, amidino, phenyl or heterocyclic group or a group of the formula ##STR2## where R.sup.

Abstract: A 4H-1-benzopyran-4-one derivative of the general formura ?1!, ##STR1## or a salt thereof exerts excellent effects on immunomodulation and cell adhesion inhibition, and is further expected to have the effect of relieving autoimmune diseases at a level comparable to that of steroids. Thus, the compound of the general formula ?1! is useful in the teatment and prevention of autoimmune diseases fundamentally caused by immunopathy or unusually accelerated cell adhesion, for example, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, mixed connective tissue disease,polyarteritis nodosa, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, Sjogren's syndrome, Behcet's disease, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diabetes, Hashimoto's disease, psoriasis, primary myxedema, pernicious anemia, serious adynamia, ulcerative colitis, chronic active hepatitis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and the like.