Comparative study of lymphocyte-suppressive potency between prednisolone and methylprednisolone in rheumatoid arthritis.
We compared lymphocyte-suppressive potencies of prednisolone and methylprednisolone in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). IC(50)s of the glucocorticoids (GCs) on concanavalin A-induced blastogenesis of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 44 RA patients and 30 healthy subjects were estimated in vitro, and differences in the IC(50)s of the two GCs were evaluated. The mean (+/-SD) IC(50)s for prednisolone and methylprednisolone on PBMC-blastogenesis of RA were 17.2+/-17.1 and 12.6+/-18.4 ng/ml, respectively, and no significant differences were observed between prednisolone-IC(50) and methylprednisolone-IC(50). In contrast, the mean IC(50)s of prednisolone and methylprednisolone on healthy PBMCs were 19.4+/-22. 4 and 3.7+/-3.9 ng/ml, respectively, and thus methylprednisolone potency was significantly higher than prednisolone potency (p<0.01). Methylprednisolone potency against PBMCs in RA patients exhibiting a high level of rheumatoid factor (RF) (>20 IU/ml) and the rheumatoid arthritis particle-agglutination value (RAPA) (>80) was significantly higher than that of patients exhibiting a lower level of RF or RAPA (p<0.05). In prednisolone-IC(50), however, such differences between the two patient-subgroups were not observed. Unlike reported cases of renal transplantation and healthy subjects, there was no difference in the lymphocyte-suppressive potencies for both prednisolone and methylprednisolone on RA-PBMCs. However, PBMCs from RA patients exhibiting high levels of RF or RAPA are more sensitive to methylprednisolone rather than prednisolone.
Hirano
T
T
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, 192-0392, Tokyo, Japan. hiranot@ps.toyaku.ac.jp
Tsuboi
N
N
Homma
M
M
Oka
K
K
Takekoshi
T
T
Tahara
K
K
Takanashi
H
H
Abe
H
H
Urata
Y
Y
Hayashi
T
T
D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011239:Prednisolone; D008775:Methylprednisolone