Modulation of human lymphocyte proliferation by antibacterial drugs

The aim of this work was to perform a systematic study of the interference of the different antibiotics with phytohaemaglutinin (PHA) stimulated human lymphocytes proliferation. Twelve antibiotics from different therapeutic classes were chosen: b-lactams (amoxicillin; ceftriaxone; imipenem), glycopeptides (vancomycin), aminoglycosides (gentamicin), macrolides (erythromycin), tetracyclines (tetracycline), rifampicin, quinolones (ciprofloxacin; nalidixic acid), sulfonamides (sulfamethoxazole) and nitrofuran (nitrofurantoin). Nitrofurantoin showed the strongest antiproliferative effect while tetracycline and rifampicin showed only moderate activities. All the other antibiotics were inactive even at the maximum concentration tested (100mg/ml).