Glucocorticoid receptors, in human alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood cells

The numbers of glucocorticoid receptors in human alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood cells were measured with 3H-prednisolone. Alveolar macrophages, which constituted 89.0 +/- 5.9% of broncho-alveolar cells, obtained by broncho-alveolar lavage from normal volunteers had much larger numbers of specific glucocorticoid receptors than peripheral blood cells. The numbers of glucocorticoid receptors in peripheral polymorphonuclear leucocytes, lymphocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations (B cells, T cells, TG cells and TnonG cells) were nearly equal. In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, in whom alveolar macrophages amounted to over 85% of the broncho-alveolar cells, the number of glucocorticoid receptors in alveolar macrophages was significantly decreased, but the numbers in their peripheral blood cells were normal. This finding suggests that the number of glucocorticoid receptors in alveolar macrophages may change specifically during disorders of the lung.