title: The effect of in vivo hydrocortisone on subpopulations of human lymphocytes.
abstract: This study was designed to determine the effect of in vivo hydrocortisone on subpopulations of lymphoid cells in normal humans. Subjects received a single intravenous dose of either 100 mg or 400 mg of hydrocortisone, and blood was drawn at hourly intervals for 6 h, and then again at 10 and 24 h after injection. Profound decreases in absolute numbers of circulating lymphocytes and monocytes occurred at 4-6 h after both 100 mg and 400 mg of hydrocortisone. Counts returned to normal by 24 h. The relative proportion of circulating thymus-derived lymphocytes as measured by the sheep red blood cell rosette assay decreased maximally by 4 h and returned to base line 24 h after hydrocortisone. There was a selective depletion of functional subpopulations of lymphocytes as represented by differential effects on in vitro stimulation with various mitogens and antigens. Phytohaemagglutinin response was relatively unaffected, while responses to concanavalin A were significantly diminished. Responses to pokeweed mitogen were unaffected by 100 mg of hydrocortisone, but greatly diminished by 400 mg of hydrocortisone. In vitro responses to the antigens streptokinase-streptodornase and tetanus toxoid were markedly diminished by in vivo hydrocortisone. Reconstitution of monocyte-depleted cultures with autologous monocytes partially corrected the diminished response to antigens. This transient selective depletion of monocytes and subsets of human lymphocytes by a single dose of hydrocortisone is most compatible with a redistribution of these cells out of the circulation into other body compartments.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007104:Immune Adherence Reaction; D037102:Lectins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D013299:Streptodornase and Streptokinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D008934:Mitogens; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D003208:Concanavalin A; D013299:Streptodornase and Streptokinase; D006854:Hydrocortisone