title: Macrolidic antibiotics: effects on primary in vitro antibody responses.
abstract: The effect of two macrolidic antibiotics, josamycin and erythromycin, on the primary immune response in cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), were studied using a soft agar hemolytic plaque assay. Both compounds induced an appreciable reduction in the primary antibody response in total PBMC cultures. The removal of plastic-adherent cells, however, profoundly modified the effect of macrolides on the immune response. Both josamycin and, to a lesser extent, erythromycin enhanced, rather than suppressed, the antibody response. Furthermore, the macrolide-induced immunodepression in cultures of total PBMC was completely reversed by the addition of catalase (8000 U/ml). Taken together, these findings suggest that the macrolide-induced depression of the antibody response depends upon the presence of adherent monocytic cells and is mediated by the production of hydrogen peroxide.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valenti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scaglione
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clerici
mesh_terms: D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002374:Catalase / Q000494:pharmacology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007933:Leucomycins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007933:Leucomycins; D004917:Erythromycin; D002374:Catalase