Effects of T-614, a new antirheumatic drugs, on mononuclear cell function.

T-614 is a chemical compound which has been shown to have clinical efficacy as an antirheumatic drug in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) . In the present study, we investigated the effects of T-614 and its derivatives M1 and M2 on mononuclear cell (MNC) function.MNC obtained from the peripheral blood of RA patients were cultured with varying concentrations of T-614 for 24 h or 7 days. and the supernatants were measured for substances produced from monocytes and T and B lymphocytes. T-614 inhibited IL 1β, IL -6 and TNF-α production in MNC.These results suggest that T-614 exerts immunosuppressive effects on monocytes and these effects may be one of the mechanisms by which T-614 shows therapeutic effects in patients with RA.