The effect of cocaine on mitogen-induced lymphyocyte proliferation in pregnant women

Cocaine use during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis and HIV. Many sociological and economic factors related to cocaine use have been shown to contribute to this increased risk. Cocaine may also affect immunological function thereby increasing risk for sexually transmitted diseases. The objective of this study was to determine if cocaine suppresses mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in pregnant women. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from 39 pregnant women. Lymphocyte proliferation was stimulated with concanavalin A (conA, 1 microg/mL). Cocaine was added at time zero to one set of cultures and at 0, 24, and 48 hr to a second set of cultures (to correct for cocaine degradation in culture). Three doses of cocaine were used: 0.1, 1 and 10 microg/mL. The cells were pulsed with 1 microCi 3H thymidine at 72 hr and harvested 19 hr after addition of the isotope. Lymphocyte proliferation, as determined by radioactivity (cpm) was assessed. Cocaine had no statistically significant effect on conA-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation when added at time = 0 or when added daily. Cocaine, in concentrations similar to those found in clinical experiments with drug users, does not suppress in vitro concanavalin A-induced lymphocyte proliferation in cells obtained from pregnant women.