title: Modulation of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets during methylprednisolone pulse therapy.
abstract: We determined fluctuations in circulating lymphocyte subsets induced by methylprednisolone pulse therapy (MPT) and the continuous administration of prednisolone (PSL) in 17 patients with autoimmune or systemic rheumatic disease. Two-color flow cytometry, using monoclonal antibodies to various lymphocyte subsets, was performed to identify a possible association between the clinical efficacy of treatment and modulative effects on each subset. Both MPT and continuous oral PSL showed suppressive effects on most of the lymphocyte subsets: CD4+, CD45RA or CD45RA+CD4+, CD8+, CD11b.CD8+, CD5+ B, and CD57+ or CD57 CD16+ cells. Modulation of lymphocyte subsets were more profound with MPT than with continuous oral PSL. The results are relevant to the different degrees of immuno-suppression effected by the two treatment modalities. We found that the number of CD45RA.CD4+ cells after MPT treatment correlated with the clinical efficacy of the treatment: the less CD45RA.CD4+ cell numbers decreased after MPT treatment, the greater was the clinical efficacy of the treatment. The results probably are associated with a rapid recovery of the subset after MPT treatment in the responders. Thus, the sequential monitoring of circulating lymphocyte subsets is useful in predicting the clinical effects of MPT treatment.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horiki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasao
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008775:Methylprednisolone