The Journal of Immunology, Vol 133, Issue 4 1885-1890, Copyright © 1984 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Selective suppressive effects of glucocorticoids on the early events in the human B cell activation process

DL Bowen and AS Fauci

The effect of hydrocortisone on the induction of human B cell activation and proliferation has been described. Hydrocortisone prevents the anti-mu-induced cell enlargement of small tonsillar B cells, blocks expression of the activation markers 4F2 and 5E9 induced by anti-mu, inhibits RNA synthesis of small B cells stimulated by anti- mu with or without BCGF, and suppresses B cell proliferation in response to anti-mu and BCGF or to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I. In contrast, hydrocortisone does not affect the proliferative response of in vitro or in vivo preactivated B cells. Therefore, hydrocortisone has a selective inhibitory effect on early events in the human B cell cycle that subsequently leads to inhibition of total RNA and DNA synthesis. Possible mechanisms of this action are discussed. These studies further define the nature of glucocorticoid-induced modulation of human B cell activation and proliferation.

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