ATF2 impairs glucocorticoid receptor–mediated transactivation in human CD8+ T cells

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Abstract
Chronic inflammatory diseases often have residual CD8+ T-cell infiltration despite treatment with systemic corticosteroids, which suggests divergent steroid responses between CD4+ and CD8+ cells. To examine steroid sensitivity, dexamethasone (DEX)–induced histone H4 lysine 5 (K5) acetylation and glucocorticoid receptor α (GCRα) translocation were evaluated. DEX treatment for 6 hours significantly induced histone H4 K5 acetylation in normal CD4+ cells (P = .001) but not in CD8+ cells. DEX responses were functionally impaired in CD8+ compared with CD4+ cells when using mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (1 hour; P = .02) and interleukin 10 mRNA (24 hours; P = .004) induction as a readout of steroid-induced transactivation. Normal DEX-induced GCRα nuclear translocation and no significant difference in GCRα and GCRβ mRNA expression were observed in both T-cell types. In addition, no significant difference in SRC-1, p300, or TIP60 expression was found. However, activating transcription factor-2 (ATF2) expression was significantly lower in CD8+ compared with CD4+ cells (P = .009). Importantly, inhibition of ATF2 expression by small interfering RNA in CD4+ cells resulted in inhibition of DEX-induced transactivation in CD4+ cells. The data indicate refractory steroid-induced transactivation but similar steroid-induced transrepression of CD8+ cells compared with CD4+ cells caused by decreased levels of the histone acetyltransferase ATF2.