Effects of auranofin and other antirheumatic drugs on human myelopoiesis in vitro

Abstract

Leukopenia is one of the more serious side effects of auranofin (AF) therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. AF and its deacetylated form inhibited the development of macrophage and granulocytic colonies from progenitor cells in human bone marrow even at concentrations ≤10-9 M. The disease suppressive activity of AF could result in part from the reduction of cell numbers in arthritic lesions and our findings provide a mechanims for this possibility. In contrast, other slow acting antirheumatic drugs, sulfasalazine, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, show partial inhibition of colony development but at concentrations of the order of 10-5 M.