[The clinical value of quantification of glucocorticoid receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in myasthenia gravis].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) number in predicting the glucorticoid (GC) therapeutic efficacy.


METHODS
GR number in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from thirty patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) was measured with (3)H-dexamethansone (DEX) radio-ligand binding assay. The efficacy of GC treatment was assessed with relative clinical score one month and six months after the treatment. Twenty-four patients with MG were monitored for GR number at different time points after GC treatment.


RESULTS
The pre-treatment GR number was positively correlated with relative clinical score one month and six months after the treatment (r = 0.916 and r = 0.891, P < 0.01, respectively). The higher the pre-treatment GR number, the higher the clinical relative score and the better the efficacy of GC treatment. After GC treatment, GR number had a tendency to decline gradually.


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-treatment GR number can be used as an adjuvant parameter for predicting GC therapeutic efficacy. GC treatment down-regulates GR.
Department of Neurology, Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University. Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China.
Xinghu
X
Zhang
Xianhao
X
Xu
Jian
J
Yin
Hong
H
Wang
Hong
H
Guo
Hua
H
Zhang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D003907:Dexamethasone