Effect of dexamethasone on expression of adhesion molecules on CD4+ lymphocytes

Abstract

Despite the widespread use of corticosteroids in asthma therapy, little is known of the effects of corticosteroids on cell surface markers involved in T lymphocyte activation and adhesion. We used flow cytometry to analyze the effects of 1, 10, and 100 nM dexamethasone on expression of markers on resting and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes. Expression of the leukocyte common antigen CD45 was significantly (P = 0.016, n = 3) increased from an average mean fluorescence intensity of 215.8 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 100.5, 463.5] on cells from unstimulated cultures to 334.2 (CI: 167.9, 663.7) on cells from PHA-stimulated cultures after 70-h incubation. At the same time, the percentage of cells also expressing the CD45RO isoform, a marker of memory T lymphocytes, increased significantly (P = 0.0006, n = 3) from 54.4 +/- 1.3% (unstimulated) to 92.8 +/- 0.6% (stimulated). Dexamethasone had no significant effect on expression of CD45 or CD45RO, including the observed changes. Dexamethasone also did not affect expression of the beta 1-integrin VLA-4. These results suggest that corticosteroids do not modulate the cell surface expression of these molecules involved in CD4+ T lymphocyte activation, adhesion, and recirculation.

CD49d is a disease progression biomarker and a potential target for immunotherapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

“…However, this is not the case since the patients who were no longer able to walk had stopped steroid treatment before the analyses, and the changes in CD49d expression persisted. In addition, it has been reported that glucocorticoids do not modulate in vitro or in vivo CD49d expression [ 22 , 23 ]. Furthermore, all patients who were still able to walk were all under steroid treatment, thus excluding steroid treatment as a putative confounder.…”

Regulation of ICAM‐3 and other adhesion molecule expressions on eosinophils in vitro. Effects of dexamethasone

“…In addition, budesonide reduced surface ICAM‐1(CD54) upregulation induced by IFN‐γ. Hughes et al ( 22) found that dexamethasone had no effect on the expression of VLA‐4 (CD29) on peripheral blood CD4+ lymphocytes. Taken together, these studies suggest that the membrane expression of AM is differentially modulated by glucocorticoids.…”

Surface activation markers of T lymphocytes: role in the detection of infection in neonates

“…This observation is consistent with a recent report by Hughes et al . [ 16], who reported no effects of dexamethasone on CD45RO expression in vitro .…”