Immunopharmacology of auranofin and gold sodium thiomalate: effects on humoral immunity.

The effect of auranofin and gold sodium thiomalate (GST) on antibody production was evaluted using antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent antibody responses to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and L929 fibroblasts. The results indicated that auranofin was capable of depressing antibody production to L929 cells, but inconsistently depressed the response to SRBC in the mouse. GST, however, stimulated both responses. In vitro, both compounds inhibit secretion of antibody. These results demonstrate that auranofin, in contrast to GST, is capable of suppressing humoral immunity which may explain its more rapid effect on immunological parameters in RA.