GLUCOCORTICOSTEROID ENHANCEMENT OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN-SYNTHESIS BY POKEWEED MITOGEN-STIMULATED HUMAN-LYMPHOCYTES .2. LYMPHOCYTE-T INDEPENDENCE

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 44  (1) , 129-136
Abstract
The T lymphocyte role in GCS [glucocorticosteroid] enhancement of PWM[pokeweed mitogen]-stimulated IgG synthesis by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Purified T or B lymphocyte subpopulations were pretreated with 10-6 M prednisolone [PD] or recombined at various T:B ratios, and 10-6 M PD was added. PWM-stimulated IgG synthesis was measured in the culture supernatants at 8 days by radioimmunoassay. PD addition to cultures of autologous and allogeneic reconstituted mixtures of T and B lymphocytes resulted in enhancement of PWM-stimulated IgG synthesis. This effect was observed with constant and increasing numbers of lymphocytes in culture (independent of T:B ratio), and occurred with purified B lymphocytes containing monocytes. Pretreatment of purified B lymphocytes containing monocytes (but not purified T lymphocytes) with PD enhanced PWM-stimulated IgG synthesis in reconstituted mixtures of T and B lymphocytes. Apparently, GCS enhancement of PWM-stimulated IgG synthesis by human mononuclear cells is independent of T lymphocyte regulation.