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JAC Advance Access originally published online on January 16, 2004
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Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2004) 53, 367-370
© 2004 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Modification of phagocytosis and cytokine production in peritoneal and splenic murine cells by erythromycin A, azithromycin and josamycin

Elena Ortega*, M. Antonia Escobar, José Juan Gaforio, Ignacio Algarra and Gerardo Alvarez de Cienfuegos

Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaén, Paraje Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain

Received 22 July 2003; returned 29 October 2003; revised 12 November 2003; accepted 13 November 2003

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether pre-incubation of peritoneal or splenic cells with different doses of the macrolides erythromycin A (14-membered ring), azithromycin (15-membered ring) and josamycin (16-membered ring) affects their phagocytic activity or cytokine production.

Methods: Peritoneal and splenic cells from BALB/c mice were pre-incubated with different concentrations of these antibiotics, those similar to serum levels attained with the treatment schedules used in human therapy.

Results: From our observations of phagocytic activity and IL-12 production by peritoneal cells, these macrolide antibiotics seem to act mainly as immunosuppressive agents, although they induce peritoneal cells to increase IL-18 production and splenic cells IL-4 production.

Conclusions: Macrolide antibiotics can interfere with the Th1 cell-amplifying activity of IL-18 in conjunction with IL-12 and, in contrast, may induce a Th2 cell response in an IL-4-dependent manner. These results could improve their therapeutic use especially in immunosuppressed patients.

Keywords: macrolide antibiotics, immunomodulation, IL-12, IL-18, IL-4

* Corresponding author. Tel: +34-953-01-20-04; Fax: +34-953-01-21-41; E-mail: eortega{at}ujaen.es


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