Metabolic and Chemical Origins of Cross-Reactive Immunological Reactions to Arylamine Benzenesulfonamides: T-Cell Responses to Hydroxylamine and Nitroso Derivatives

Exposure to sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is associated with T-cell-mediated hypersensitivity reactions in human patients. T-cells can be stimulated by the putative metabolite nitroso SMX, which binds irreversibly to protein. The hydroxylamine and nitroso derivatives of three arylamine benzenesulfonamides, namely, sulfamethozaxole, sulfadiazine, and sulfapyridine, were synthesized, and their T-cell stimulatory capacity in the mouse was explored. Nitroso derivatives were synthesized by a three-step procedure involving the formation of nitro and hydroxylamine sulfonamide intermediates. For immune activation, female Balb-c strain mice were administered nitroso sulfonamides four times weekly for 2 weeks. After 14 days, isolated splenocytes were incubated with the parent compounds, hydroxylamine metabolites, and nitroso derivatives to measure antigen-specific proliferation. To explore the requirement of irreversible protein binding for spleen cell activation, splenocytes were incubated with nitroso derivatives in the...