Characterization of the in Vitro Effects of Glucocorticosteroids on NK Cell Activity

Abstract
The NK cell activity of mononuclear cells as well as monocyte-depleted, Percoll-fractionated, NK cell-enriched effector cells against K 562 target cells was inhibited by methylprednisolone (MP) and hydrocortisone (HC) in a dose-dependent manner. The effector/target cell conjugate formation was studied in a single cell agarose assay, and it was shown that MP and HC partly inhibited the NK cell activity by inhibition of the adhesion of effector cells to target.