Lymphocyte subpopulation alterations induced by intravenous megadose pulse methylprednisolone.
Lymphocyte subpopulations from 9 children with different rheumatic diseases were studied before and 5, 24 and 48 h after high dose intravenous methylprednisolone. Leu-1 (+) cells, Leu-2a (+) cells, Leu-3a (+) cells and surface immunoglobulin (+) cells were counted. A panlymphopenia occurred 5 h after infusion, but numbers of all cell types were normal by 48 h. B cells were less affected than T cells. Leu-3a (+) cells were relatively more decreased than the other populations at 5 h and took longer to return to prepulse levels. This suggests a selective difference in distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations after pulse methylprednisolone infusion.
D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000145:classification; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000145:classification
D008775:Methylprednisolone