Effects of Immunomodulatory Drugs on T Lymphocyte Activation and Function.

During the past year, the following drugs were received and tested for their immunomodulatory actions CL246 738, AbUMDP, Xerosin II, OK432, CL259 763, FK 565, AVS 2141, AVS 2142, AVS 2143, and AVS 2144. We tested the effects of these drugs on the proliferative activities of human T lymphocytes. To this end, lymphocytes were activated with the T cell specific mitogenic monoclonal antibody OKT3 which reacts with the CD3 molecular complex on human T cells and causes them to proliferate and secrete lymphokines. Lymphocytes isolated from the blood of healthy volunteers were incubated with monoclonal antibody OKT3 in the presence or absence of various concentrations of the different drugs. These studies revealed that three of the drugs, CL246, Xerosin, and AVS 2143 when used at specific concentrations increased the proliferation of lymphocytes. Five of the drugs, FK 565, OK 432, WY 18251, AVS 2141, and AVS 2142 had the reverse effect, namely they reduced proliferation. Finally, three of the drugs, CL259, AbuMDP, and AVS 2144 had no effect. We also tested the effects of the same drugs on the expression of selected lymphocyte surface proteins upon activation. Keywords Monoclonal antibodies Antigens Fluorescence.