Effect of glucocorticosteroids on epidermal cell-induced immune responses

Recent reports indicate that pharmacologic doses of glucocorticosteroids induce structural alterations in epidermal Langerhans cells. In this study we hoped to determine whether steroid-induced changes in Langerhans cell surface characteristics are paralleled by alterations in Langerhans cell-dependent immunologic functions of epidermal cells. We found that both topically and systemically administered steroids led to a dose-dependent reduction in the number of Ia-bearing epidermal cells. This numerical decrease was paralleled by a substantial impairment of Langerhans cell-dependent immunologic functions of epidermal cells in that their capacity to induce antigen-specific, syngeneic, and allogeneic proliferation of T cells from non-steroid-treated animals was substantially reduced. The capacity of epidermal cells to generate ETAF activity, however, was not adversely affected by the steroid treatment. After cessation of treatment, Langerhans cell numbers and Langerhans cell-dependent in vitro functions slowly and gradually returned to normal values. We propose that the ability of glucocorticosteroids to interfere with the generation of T cell-dependent immune responses may be due, at least in part, to their interference with antigen-presenting cell function.