[Intensification of lymphocyte blast transformation inhibition by chorionic gonadotropin in combination with...

The effect of chorionic gonadotropic hormone (CGH) alone or combined with glucocorticoids (prednisolone, hydrocortisone, urbasone and dexasone), applied in clinical practice as immunodepressants, on lymphocyte transformation was studied in vitro during lymphocyte stimulation by phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The synthesis of DNA was estimated from 3H-thymidine incorporation. The results obtained were expressed in per cent of the label incorporation into the test cultures compared to non-stimulated control. CGH was shown to produce dose-dependent inhibition of lymphocyte transformation. The concentration of 20 ED/ml reduces the blastogenic response to 54%, while use of CGH in a dose of 20 ED/ml and urbasone or dexasone in doses of 0.1 g/ml decreases PHA-stimulated lymphocyte transformation 2-6 fold compared to administration of CGH or glucocorticoids alone. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of the drugs is potentiated by the use of the minimum active concentrations of CGH combined with low concentrations of glucocorticoids. The data obtained suggest an approach to reducing the doses of steroid drugs in instituting the immunodepressant therapy to patients with kidney allograft and autoimmune diseases.