Chemotherapeutic agents in tuberculosis and cellmediated immune response an in-vitro study

ABSTRACT

To estimate the potential adverse sequence of PAS, INH, ethionamide, ethambutol and rifampin therapy on cell mediated immune response in tuberculosis, we measured the in vitro lymphocyte resposes to PHA in the presence of these chemotherapeutic agents in varying concentrations per ml. lymphocytes were collected on Ficol-Hypaque gradient from the heparinized blood from normal adult male blood donors. The degree of incorporation of tritiated thymidine into the lymphocytes in the presence and absence of the chemotherapeutic agents were measured by a B, scintillation counter as cpm. The stimulation indices were calculated. PAS, INH and ethionamide were found to have no adverse effect on lymphocytes in any of the concentrations used. Rifampin at the concentration of 50 micro g/ml and ethambutol at the concentration of 300 micro g/ml were significantly depressant to lymphocytes