Virus free supernatants (VFS) obtained by ultracentrifugation of homogenates of African swine fever (ASF) virus infected cultures inhibited the proliferative response and the expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of two activation molecules, the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) and the swine MHC class II antigens (SLA II), induced by several stimuli (lectins, PMA plus the calcium ionophore A23187 or specific antigen). This inhibition was time dependent: no effect was seen on IL-2R expression when VFS was added after 48 h, when the expression of this molecule reached its maximum. However at this time the proliferative response was still inhibited. The presence of VFS in the cultures was necessary to inhibit both the IL-2R expression and the proliferation of cells. In these conditions the addition of exogenous IL-2 to the cultures failed to restore the IL-2R expression and the proliferation shown by control stimulated cells. Furthermore, the IL-2 activity found in supernatants from cell cultures stimulated with Con A in the presence of VFS was even higher than in cultures stimulated without VFS. The inhibition observed suggests an important impairment of host immunocompetence in ASF infected swine.