Expression of 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in human lymphoid and non lymphoid cells

Expression of 20-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20 alpha-SDH), a putative T cell marker in the murine system, has been examined in human haematopoietic cells. Higher levels of enzymatic activity were expressed by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in comparison with thymocytes. When PBMC were fractionated into T and non T cell subsets, the greatest values of 20 alpha-SDH activity were associated with the non T cell population. Cells from bone marrow exhibited lower levels of 20 alpha-SDH than PBMC and thymocytes. Both myeloid and lymphoid leukaemic cells expressed significant 20 alpha-SDH activity. In addition our data in U-937 and CM-S human cell lines indicate that cells belonging to the myelomonocytic precursor compartment constitutively expressed 20 alpha-SDH activity. Furthermore, this activity was less expressed when these cells were induced to monocyte-macrophage differentiation. In conclusion, our data in the human system indicate that 20 alpha-SDH should not be viewed as a lymphoid lineage-restricted marker enzyme.