Table 1.

Effects of gold compounds on innate immune system.

Gold compounds	Mechanism of action	Cell or animal models	Reference
Auranofin	Low dose stimulates NK cells, but high dose inhibits NK cells	NK cells	Russell et al., 1982; Pedersen and Abom, 1986
	Inhibits the homodimerization of TLR4 and TLR4-mediated activation of key transcription factors (NF-κB, IRF3, COX-2)	Murine pro-B, RAW264.7, 293T, COS-7cells	Jeon et al., 2003; Youn et al., 2006
	Suppresses PKC	Human neutrophils	Parente et al., 1989
	Activates monocytes to secrete key inflammatory cytokines (IL6, IL8)	THP1 cells	Stern et al., 2005
	Inhibits NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6)	RAW 264.7	Han et al., 2008a
GST	Activates monocytes to secrete key inflammatory cytokines (IL6, IL8)	THP1 cells	Stern et al., 2005
	Inhibits PKC, HMGB1 translocation, IFN-beta, NO, and the release of HMGB1	RAW 264.7, THP-1 cells	Parente et al., 1989; Zetterstrom et al., 2008
AuTM	Activates monocytes and enhances release of superoxide	Human monocytes	Hurst et al., 1986
	Inhibits CD45		Wang et al., 1997
Na3Au (S2O3)2·2H2O	Induces release of IL-8, and expression of CD40 on the surface of DC	DC, PBMC, THP1 cells	Rachmawati et al., 2015b
HAuCl4 [Au(III)]	Stimulates monocytes to secrete IL6, IL8, and mast cells to degranulate and secrete arachidonic acid metabolites and cytokines (such as IL-4)	THP1, RBL-2H3, HMC-1 cells	Stern et al., 2005; Hayama et al., 2011; Suzuki et al., 2011
Aurothioglucose	Inhibits the DNA binding activity of NF-κB		Yang et al., 1995
Gold(I)-triphenylphosphine compounds	Inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α IL-1β)	THP-1 cells	Krikavova et al., 2014

AuTM, sodium aurothiomalate; GST, gold sodium thiomalate; NK cell, natural killer cell; DC, dendritic cell; TLR, toll-like receptor; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor α; HMGB1, high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1; IL, interleukin; PKC, protein kinase C; IFN, interferon.