title: Allopurinol reduces antigen-specific and polyclonal activation of human T cells.
abstract: Allopurinol is the most popular commercially available xanthine oxidase inhibitor and it is widely used for treatment of symptomatic hyperuricaemia, or gout. Although, several anti-inflammatory actions of allopurinol have been demonstrated in vivo and in vitro, there have been few studies on the action of allopurinol on T cells. In the current study, we have assessed the effect of allopurinol on antigen-specific and mitogen-driven activation and cytokine production in human T cells. Allopurinol markedly decreased the frequency of IFN-γ and IL-2-producing T cells, either after polyclonal or antigen-specific stimulation with Herpes Simplex virus 1, Influenza (Flu) virus, tetanus toxoid and Trypanosoma cruzi-derived antigens. Allopurinol attenuated CD69 upregulation after CD3 and CD28 engagement and significantly reduced the levels of spontaneous and mitogen-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species in T cells. The diminished T cell activation and cytokine production in the presence of allopurinol support a direct action of allopurinol on human T cells, offering a potential pharmacological tool for the management of cell-mediated inflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben" Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Damián
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pérez-Mazliah
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Albareda
authors.forename: María G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lococo
authors.forename: Graciela L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Bertocchi
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petti
authors.forename: Rodolfo J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Viotti
authors.forename: Susana A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Laucella