Human lymphocyte subpopulations. Effect of corticosteroids

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Prednisone is a corticosteroid with known immunomodulatory effects.
• Lymphopenia, a decrease in lymphocytes, can occur following corticosteroid administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the specific lymphocyte populations affected by prednisone.
• To quantify the impact of prednisone on T cells and B cells.

Main Methods:

• Normal subjects received 60 mg of prednisone orally.
• Lymphocyte populations were assayed using sheep red blood cell rosettes and receptors for aggregated gammaglobulin and complement.
• Analysis of lymphocyte proportions and absolute numbers in peripheral blood.

Main Results:

• Prednisone administration led to a transient lymphopenia.
• A significant decrease in the proportion and absolute number of T cells was observed.
• An increase in the proportion of B cells was noted, with a decrease in their absolute numbers.
• Changes in lymphocyte subpopulations (early rosettes, complement receptor lymphocytes) mirrored these findings.

Conclusions:

• Prednisone affects both T and B lymphocytes.
• T cell lymphopenia is more pronounced than B cell lymphopenia following prednisone administration.
• The observed lymphopenia may result from lymphocyte sequestration or transient arrest of recirculation.