Glucocorticoid receptor content of T lymphocytes: evidence for heterogeneity

Glucocorticoid receptors were measured in T lymphocytes that were isolated from peripheral blood by either nylon wool filtration or E-rosette sedimentation. T cells isolated by nylon wool filtration specifically bind 6.7 +/- 0.2 fmol of dexamethasone per million cells (equivalent to 4000 +/- 200 receptors per cell), whereas T cells isolated by E-rosette sedimentation bind 12.0 +/- 0.7 fmol of dexamethasone per million cells (equivalent to 7200 +/- 400 receptors per cell). This difference in the amount of dexamethasone bound by the two T cell preparations was significant (p less than .001) and was present immediately after cell isolation. The binding affinities of the different T cell preparations for dexamethasone were similar. T cells that are isolated by a combination of nylon wool filtration followed by E-rosette sedimentation bind the same amount of dexamethasone as T cells isolated by nylon wool filtration alone. T cells isolated by a combination of E-rosette sedimentation following by nylon wool filtration bind less dexamethasone than do T cells isolated by E-rosette sedimentation alone. These findings suggest that T cells are heterogeneous with respect to their quantity of glucocorticoid receptors. Isolation of T cells by E-rosette sedimentation enriches for T cells that have a greater number of glucocorticoid receptors, and isolation of T cells by nylon wool filtration enriches for T cells that have a lesser number of glucocorticoid receptors.