pentoxifylline inhibits vgamma9/vdelta2 t lymphocyte activation of patients with active behçet's disease

The aim ofthis study is to evaluate the in vitro effect ofpentoxifylline (PTX) on T Vy9No21ymphocytefunction in Beheet's disease (DO). We investigated the effect of PTX on Vy9No2 T cell expansion andexpression of TNFRII receptor and perforin content before and after PTX addition by means of FACSanalysis lymphocyte cultures from patients with active and inactive DO and healthy subjects. Theaddition of PTX at a concentration of 1 mg/ml determined a significant inhibition of cell expansion, adown regulation of TNF receptor expression and inhibited the PMA-induced degranulation of perforin.Taken together these data indicate that PTX is capable of interfering with Vy9No2 T cell function in DO,and although cell culture models cannot reliably predict all of the potential effects of the drug in vivo,our results encourage the possibility that this drug may find use in a range of immunological disordercharacterized by dysregulated cell-mediated immunity