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. 1991 Sep;32(5):311–314. doi: 10.1007/BF01789049

No inhibition of interferon γ release in human lymphocytes by Ciamexone

J Baier 1,✉, H A Neumann 1, O Ricken 1
PMCID: PMC11038928  PMID: 1900217

Abstract

In previous experiments Ciamexone, derivative of 2-cyan-aziridine, was able to influence T-cell-mediated regulatory mechanisms but seemed to have no or only little effect on T cell effector mechanisms. On the basis of these observations Ciamexone seems to be a highly selective immunosuppressive agent. In order to evaluate further possible mechanisms of Ciamexone it was the aim of our investigation to study its influence on interferon γ (IFNγ) production in phytohaemogglutinin (PHA)-stimulated T lymphocytes of 15 tumour patients and 12 healthy reference subjects. The IFNγ concentration of the cell supernatant was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. When the cells were stimulated with PHA at 7.5 µg/ml the IFNγ concentration rose to significantly different values in the reference group (1.0 ng/ml) as compared to the tumour patients (0.4 ng/ml) (P <0.05). An addition of Ciamexone (at any of the concentrations administered) to PHA stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) showed no influence on the IFNγ release in either test group. The influence of hydrocortisone on the stimulation of PBMC with PHA resulted in a dose-dependent suppression of IFNγ production in both test groups, again with significant differerences between them. The IFNγ concentration was 0.95 ng/ml in the reference group and 0.2 ng/ml in the tumour patients when 0.01 µg/ml hydrocortisone was added (P <0.05). At 10 µg/ml hydrocortisone suppressed IFNγ production completely in both groups. Our results corroborate those investigations that showed no influence of the compound on T cell effector mechanisms. The attenuation of humoral immunophenomena, however, suggest a very specific point of action within the immune system by Ciamexone.

Keywords: Hydrocortisone, Interferon, Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell, Reference Group, Specific Point

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