[Effect of the preservative thiomersal on the release of interleukin-1 beta from human peripheral blood cells]

Abstract

Several vaccines have been tested in the human whole blood pyrogen test as an alternative to the rabbit pyrogen test. As reported previously by our group, the alternative test system is basically applicable to vaccines. The widely used conservative thiomersal is influencing the test system. Surprisingly, the induction of fever inducing cytokines by endotoxin contaminations and other pyrogens can be suppressed by thiomersal.