title: T cell reactions in patients showing adverse immune reactions to drugs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To better understand how T cells react to small compounds, we investigated the in vitro T cell reactivity to drugs from drug allergic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of three drug allergic individuals were stimulated in vitro by different drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proliferation was assayed by 3H-thymidine incorporation. Upregulation of activation parameter on T cells was done by immunofluorescence and cytokine release determined via standard ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Drugs can stimulate both CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets. PenG-stimulated PBMC showed a heterogenous cytokine pattern and clones secreted high amounts of INF gamma. In contrast, sulfamethoxazole and lidocaine-stimulated PBMC secreted high levels of IL-5 and lidocaine-specific clones can be Th1 or Th2-like.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drug specific T cells play a pivotal role in drug hypersensitivity reactions, both by regulating the immune response and probably also as specific effector cells with different patterns of cytokine release.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Zanni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Greyerz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schnyder
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mauri-Hellweg
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brander
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalbermatten
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Pichler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000009:adverse effects; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000009:adverse effects; D010406:Penicillins / Q000009:adverse effects; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000009:adverse effects; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015848:Interleukin-5; D010406:Penicillins; D014316:Tritium; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D008012:Lidocaine; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole; D010400:Penicillin G