Effect of colchicine on T cell subsets of healthy volunteers.
We examined the effect of oral colchicine (1-2 mg/day) on four healthy volunteers' T cell subsets. Colchicine significantly (P less than 0.01) decreased the mean (+/- SD) percent of OKT3+ total T cells (from 70 +/- 16 to 47 +/- 13), OKT4+ helper/inducer T cells (from 44 +/- 9 to 24 +/- 6), and OKT8+ suppressor/cytotoxic T cells (from 27 +/- 7 to 17 +/- 7), but did not significantly affect the OKT4:OKT8 ratio (from 1.64 +/- 0.21 to 1.48 +/- 0.45) or concanavalin A-induced suppressor cell function (from 44 +/- 9% to 47 +/- 13%). Thus, colchicine non-selectively decreased the circulating helper/inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic T cells.
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003078:Colchicine