Cyclosporine A and FK506 show similar immunosuppressive effects on long-term in vitro T-cell proliferation.

Because Cyclosporine A (CsA) is often reported to inhibit only the proliferation of quiescent T-cells and to have much less or no effect on activated proliferating T-cells, the effects of CsA and FK506 on long-term in vitro T-cell proliferation were investigated for alloreactive T-cell clones and clones derived from a leukaemia patient early after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Drug effects were tested in the presence of exogenous IL2 or IL2 + IL4 during weekly T-cell activation/restimulation. In the presence of either drug, cloned T-cells were able to respond to a reduced number of restimulations (mitogenic activation, allostimulation) and could undergo fewer cell divisions/population doublings. These effects were seen in the presence of both excess IL2 or IL2 + IL4.