title: Expression analysis of the glucocorticoid receptor and the nuclear factor-kB subunit p50 in lymphocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study a possible relationship between expression of the transcription factor glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which mediates antiinflammatory effects, and the transcription factor p50, which mediates proinflammatory effects, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression analysis of GR and nuclear factor-kB subunit p50 in PBMC was performed by semiquantitative immunoblotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GR and p50 expression in PBMC were significantly increased in patients with RA who had never received corticosteroids. In contrast, GR density is decreased in glucocorticoid treated RA patients. In addition, a dependency between increased GR expression and increased p50 expression was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pathogenesis of RA is not reflected in diminished GR expression but rather in an increased expression level of GR, as well as increased p50 expression in PBMC. Corticosteroids as the major therapeutic drugs result in a reduction of these increased GR and p50 expression levels.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum Südstadt, Klinik für Innere Medizin, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eggert
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klüter
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rusch
authors.forename: Klaus L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dotzlaw
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pabst
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Böke
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renkawitz
authors.forename: Gunther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neeck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052002:NF-kappa B p50 Subunit; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D052002:NF-kappa B p50 Subunit; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D011239:Prednisolone