EFFECT OF PREDNISOLONE ON ANTIBODY-DEPENDENT CELL-MEDIATED CYTOXOCITY AND GROWTH OF TYPE-I HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS IN HUMAN CELLS

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 17  (4) , 381-385
Abstract
Treatment of human skin and corneal fibroblasts with prednisolone-21-phosphate did not increase the capacity of these cells to replicate type I herpes simplex virus (HSV). The steroid inhibits human lymphocytes from mediating antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) against HSV-infected fibroblasts. It also suppresses the replication of virus in PHA[phytohemagglutinin]-stimulated human lymphocytes. The exacerbation observed when patients with dendritic keratitis are inadvertently treated with prednisolone may be due to the steroid suppressing ADCC and not by promoting the growth of virus in the corneal cells.