Differential effects of in vitro gold sodium thiomalate on the stimulation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by Mycoplasma arthritidis T cell mitogen, concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin.

The effects of in vitro gold sodium thiomalate (GSTM) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) stimulated by a Mycoplasma arthritidis T cell mitogen (MAM), concanavalin A (Con A), and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were compared in 5 individuals by measuring 3H-thymidine uptake by PBM. The MAM induced lymphocyte transformations were more significantly inhibited by in vitro GSTM than parallel assays using Con A and PHA. The effects could not be explained by differences in cell viability, length of cell culture, mitogen concentration, and level of mitogen stimulation, suggesting that MAM may be a useful probe in evaluating the effects of GSTM on immune function.