Table 1.
A summary of the studies conducted concerning the impact of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on the immune system
| Parameter | Source | Stimulant | MDMA Conc./dose | Effect | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutrophil phagocytosis | Rat blood | Zymosan | In vivo: 10 mg/kg (i.p.)/in vitro (10 µg/ml) | Decrease | [28] |
| IL-1β production | Rat blood | LPS | In vivo: 10–20 mg/kg (i.p.) | Decrease | [30,31] |
| Rat blood | LPS | In vitro: 1–10 µg/ml | No change | [31] | |
| Human blood | PHA | In vivo: 100 mg (p.o.) | Decrease | [38] | |
| TNF-α production | Rat blood | LPS | In vivo: 5–20 mg/kg (i.p.) | Decrease | [30,31] |
| Rat blood | LPS | In vitro: 1–10 µg/ml | No change | [31] | |
| Mouse macrophages | LPS | In vitro: 0·0001–100 µm | No change | [50] | |
| IL-6 production | Mouse macrophages | LPS | In vitro: 0·0001–100 µm | No change | [50] |
| Human blood | PHA | In vivo: 100 mg (p.o.) | Decrease | [38] | |
| IL-10 production | Rat blood | LPS | In vivo: 1·25–10 mg/kg (i.p.) | Increase | [28] |
| Rat blood | LPS | In vitro: 1–10 µg/ml | No change | [28] | |
| Rat blood | Con A | In vivo: 7·5 mg/kg (i.p.) | Decrease | [32] | |
| Human blood | PHA | In vivo: 100 mg (p.o.) | Increase | [38] | |
| TGF-β1 production | Human blood | PHA | In vivo: 100 mg (p.o.) | Increase | [38] |
| IFN-γ production | Rat blood | Con A | In vivo: 7·5 mg/kg (i.p.) | Decrease | [32] |
| Human blood | PHA | In vivo: 100 mg (p.o.) | Decrease | [38] | |
| Rat splenocytes | KLH | In vivo: 10 mg/kg (i.p.) | Decrease | [29] | |
| IL-2 production | Rat blood | Con A | In vivo: 7·5 mg/kg (i.p.) | Decrease | [32] |
| Human blood | PHA | In vivo: 100 mg (p.o.) | Decrease | [38] | |
| Mouse splenocytes | Anti-CD3 | In vitro: 0·0001 µm | Increase | [50] | |
| IL-4 production | Mouse splenocytes | Anti-CD3 | In vitro: 0·0001–100 µm | Increase/decrease | [50] |
| Human blood | PHA | In vivo: 100 mg (p.o.) | Increase | [38] | |
| NK cell numbers | Human blood | None | In vivo: 75–100 mg (p.o.) | Increase | [35,37–39] |
| NK cell activity | Mouse splenocytes | None/IL-2 | In vitro: 0·0001–100 µm | Increase/decrease | [50] |
| Lymphocyte numbers | Rat blood | None | In vivo: 1·25–40 mg/kg | Decrease: lymphocytes | [32,33] |
| Human blood | None | In vivo: 75–125 mg | Decrease: CD4+ T cells | [35,37–39] | |
| T-cell proliferation | Rat blood | Con A/PHA | In vivo: 7·5–20 mg/kg | Decrease | [32–34] |
| Human blood | PHA | In vivo: 75–125 mg | Decrease | [39] | |
| CTL activity | Mouse splenocytes | None | In vitro: 100 µm | Decrease | [50] |
| B-cell proliferation | Mouse splenocytes | Anti-IgM/IL-4 | In vitro: 0·0001–100 µm | No change | [50] |
| Antibody production | Rat blood | KLH | In vivo: 5–10 mg/kg (i.p.) | IgG2a: decrease | [29] |
Con A, concanavalin A; CTL, cytotoxic T lymphocyte; IFN-γ, interferon-γ; IL, interleukin; i.p., intraperitoneal; KLH, keyhole limpet haemocyanin; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; NK, natural killer; PHA, phytohaemagglutinin; p.o., per os; TGF-β1, transforming growth factor-β1; TNF-α, tumour necrosis factor-α.