title: Glucocorticoid receptor content of T lymphocytes: evidence for heterogeneity.
abstract: Glucocorticoid receptors were measured in T lymphocytes that were isolated from peripheral blood by either nylon wool filtration or E-rosette sedimentation. T cells isolated by nylon wool filtration specifically bind 6.7 +/- 0.2 fmol of dexamethasone per million cells (equivalent to 4000 +/- 200 receptors per cell), whereas T cells isolated by E-rosette sedimentation bind 12.0 +/- 0.7 fmol of dexamethasone per million cells (equivalent to 7200 +/- 400 receptors per cell). This difference in the amount of dexamethasone bound by the two T cell preparations was significant (p less than .001) and was present immediately after cell isolation. The binding affinities of the different T cell preparations for dexamethasone were similar. T cells that are isolated by a combination of nylon wool filtration followed by E-rosette sedimentation bind the same amount of dexamethasone as T cells isolated by nylon wool filtration alone. T cells isolated by a combination of E-rosette sedimentation following by nylon wool filtration bind less dexamethasone than do T cells isolated by E-rosette sedimentation alone. These findings suggest that T cells are heterogeneous with respect to their quantity of glucocorticoid receptors. Isolation of T cells by E-rosette sedimentation enriches for T cells that have a greater number of glucocorticoid receptors, and isolation of T cells by nylon wool filtration enriches for T cells that have a lesser number of glucocorticoid receptors.
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002469:Cell Separation; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D009757:Nylons; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000276:immunology*; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000276:immunology*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D009757:Nylons; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D003907:Dexamethasone