Comparison of the cytotoxic effects of corticoids on the neoplastic B cells

Many clinical trials have been engaged to prove the benefits of new drugs in the treatment of hematological tumours. However, no real progress have occurred in diseases such as multiple myeloma, the association of melphalan and prednisone is still the mainstay of the treatment. During all these years, the family of glucocorticoids have not been totally studied. Their efficiency in the cure of lymphoid malignancies has been early recognised, but still to be based on their anti-inflammatory potency for the dosages. Only few works reported the comparison between members of this family. We demonstrate in this work, in vitro, with a cell line of medium sensibility and a B cell of tumoral origin grew up in our laboratory, that exists some differences in the anti-neoplastic potency of the more commonly used corticoids. If the order in which we can class these drugs is not surprising and empirically known, the importance of the differences observed need a special attention. We also found that these drugs might have stimulatory effects, at various degree in function of their concentrations, on the proliferation of the B cell lines. Theses side effects coupled to the efficiency variations of each corticoid present the need of paying more attention to the choice of the molecule implied in the chemotherapy.