CORTICOSTEROID ENHANCEMENT OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN-SYNTHESIS BY POKEWEED MITOGEN-STIMULATED HUMAN-LYMPHOCYTES

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 37  (1) , 145-151
Abstract
The effects of the addition in vitro of corticosteroid on pokeweed mitogen (PWM) induced Ig [immunoglobulin] synthesis by human peripheral blood lymphocytes were studied. IgG in supernatants produced under standardized culture conditions was measured by double antibody radioimmunoassay. The addition of 10-6 M prednisolone caused a remarkable enhancement of PWM-stimulated IgG synthesis beginning at day 4 of culture and increasing at a faster rate than in cultures with PWM alone. Prednisolone (10-6 M) resulted in a geometric mean enhancement of 5.6-fold of PWM-stimulated IgG synthesis in all 25 normal controls studied. This enhancement occurred up to 3 days after the addition of PWM. Prednisolone (10-6 M and 10-5 M) resulted in significantly greater enhancement of PWM-stimulated IgG synthesis than 10-7 M prednisolone. Hydrocortisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, betamethasone and dexamethasone at 10-6 M were all equally effective in the enhancement of PWM-induced IgG synthesis.

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