Cortisol Inhibition of Immunologic Activity in Guinea Pig Alveolar Cells

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Abstract
Bronchoalveolar macrophages of normal guinea pigs respond, in vitro, to a preformed macrophage aggregation factor (MAF) with clumping nearly as strong as that seen with peritoneal wash cells. This aggregation was completely inhibited by 10––4 m hydrocortisone (hydrocortisone 21-hemisuccinate) and marginally inhibited by 10––4 m hydrocortisone. Inhibition was not due to direct lysis of macrophages or lymphocytes by hydrocortisone since alveolar exudate cells remain viable following 17 h of in vitro incubation with 10––4 m hydrocortisone. These results, together with previous accounts showing that hydrocortisone does not inhibit secretion of lymphokine in response to antigen, suggest that corticosteroid therapy in hypersensitivity pneumonitis and related diseases is successful because of interference with the effector limb of the cell-mediated immune responses, represented by macrophage aggregation factor.

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