The effect of low doses of prednisolone on T-cell subsets in rheumatoid arthritis.
Prednisolone intake causes a drop in the absolute numbers of circulating T-cell populations. OKT4+ (helper-inducer) cells are more susceptible to this. Higher doses are needed to depress OKT8+ (suppressor-cytotoxic) cell numbers. Administration of up to 10 mg prednisolone affects the suppressor-cytotoxic (OKT8+) absolute cell numbers only in patients with initially low OKT4+/OKT8+ ratios and not the values of OKT8+ cells in patients with high OKT4+/OKT8+ ratios, since these patients already have low OKT8+ cell counts.
D000284:Administration, Oral; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
D011239:Prednisolone