title: Expression of glucocorticoid receptor beta in lymphocytes of patients with glucocorticoid-resistant ulcerative colitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, the glucocorticoid receptor beta (hGRbeta) was suggested to play a role as a dominant negative regulator for determining glucocorticoid response. The aim of this study was to clarify whether reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of hGRbeta messenger RNA (mRNA) can predict the response to glucocorticoids in patients with ulcerative colitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total RNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 23 patients with ulcerative colitis and 20 healthy volunteers was reverse transcribed; the resulting complementary DNA was amplified using specific primers for hGRalpha and hGRbeta. Protein expression of hGR in PBMCs was confirmed by immunoprecipitation-Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of hGRalpha mRNA (477 base pairs) was detected in all patients and all healthy volunteers. In contrast, a hGRbeta mRNA (366 base pairs) was detected in 1 (9.1%) of 11 glucocorticoid-sensitive patients, 10 (83.3%) of 12 glucocorticoid-resistant patients, and 2 (10%) of 20 healthy volunteers. The positive rate of hGRbeta mRNA in the resistant group was significantly higher than that in the sensitive group (P = 0.0019). The hGRbeta band could be detected by immunoprecipitation-Western blotting in hGRbeta mRNA-positive patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that the expression of hGRbeta mRNA in PBMCs examined by RT-PCR may serve as a novel predictor of glucocorticoid response in ulcerative colitis.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orii
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ayabe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Obara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kohgo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; C121943:glucocorticoid receptor beta