title: Corticosteroid-interleukin 2 interactions: inhibition of binding of interleukin 2 to interleukin 2 receptors.
abstract: PHA activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) were incubated with human interleukin 2 (IL-2) in the absence or in the presence of 10(-6)-10(-9) M hydrocortisone (HC). HC suppressed the proliferative response of the activated MNC to highly purified human leucocyte IL-2 in a dose dependent manner. This suppression was in full accordance with an inhibition of the IL-2 binding capacity, whereby the high affinity binding sites were reduced by 85%, while the low affinity sites were less affected. The mechanism by which HC inhibits the binding of IL-2 is still unknown. Evidence is presented that HC binds only weakly to IL-2. We conclude that HC interferes with the IL-2 binding by modulating the binding and/or signal processing function of the IL-2 receptor.
mesh_terms: D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D006854:Hydrocortisone