Suppression of immunological responses in mice by treatment with amphotericin B.

The polyene antibiotic amphotericin B (AmB) caused a marked suppression of the cell-mediated immune response in mice. Similar treatment did not effect the humoral antibody response. The immunosuppressive property of the drug was related to its ability to inhibit the manifestation rather than the induction phase of the delayed-type hypersensitivity response. In vitro AmB suppressed mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation. The drug seemed to act at the proliferative phase of the response. Results presented show that the T cell response was much more sensitive to the action of AmB than was the B cell response. During AmB chemotherapy consideration must be given to the immunosuppressive properties of this drug.