Open AccessInhibition of lymphocyte proliferative responses by ribavirin
Author(s) -
D L Peavy,
Wayne C. Koff,
David Hyman,
Ver Knight
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
infection and immunity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.508
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1070-6313
pISSN - 0019-9567
DOI - 10.1128/iai.29.2.583-589.1980
Subject(s) - ribavirin , guanosine , concanavalin a , thymidine , uridine , biology , nucleic acid , in vivo , nucleoside , dna synthesis , lymphocyte , lymphoproliferative response , in vitro , biochemistry , pharmacology , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , rna , virus , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , hepatitis c virus , gene
When added to cultures of human peripheral blood lymphocytes, ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) inhibited antigen- and mitogen-induced proliferative responses as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation. Dose-dependent suppressive effects were obtained when concentrations of 5 to 60 microgram of ribavirin per ml were added at culture initiation or up to 96 h thereafter. Ribavirin inhibited [3H]uridine and [3H]leucine incorporation by concanavalin A-activated and normal lymphocytes although not as severely as deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis. The capacity of ribavirin to interfere with lymphoproliferative responses was entirely reversed by guanosine and, to a lesser extent, by adenosine and xanthosine. These studies demonstrate that ribavirin is a reversible inhibitor of lymphocyte nucleic acid synthesis and suggest that the drug may be immunosuppressive when administered in vivo.