PMID: 9164967Jun 1, 1997Paper

Regulation of IgE-dependent IL-4 generation by human basophils treated with glucocorticoids

The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists
J T SchroederL M Lichtenstein

Abstract

Glucocorticoids are widely used in the therapeutic intervention of allergic diseases, affecting the function of a variety of proinflammatory cell types that participate in these disorders. These drugs have been shown to inhibit the release of histamine by human basophils, but not by mast cells, in a reaction requiring 8 to 24 h. To address whether the generation of IL-4 by basophils is similarly affected, we investigated the actions of glucocorticoids on the in vitro release of this cytokine induced by anti-IgE Ab or by the human recombinant histamine-releasing factor. The ability of basophils to generate IL-4 was immediately affected, with secretion of this protein being inhibited >50% with <1-h preexposure to steroid. However, the release of histamine in these cultures was inhibited only after 24-h preincubation, suggesting that the mechanisms controlling the release of this mediator differ significantly from those regulating cytokine secretion. A rank order of potency of the steroids tested for inhibition of IL-4 protein was as follows: triamcinolone > dexamethasone > betamethasone > hydrocortisone. The sex steroids, testosterone and estrogen, showed no effect on basophil secretion. Experiments using reverse transcription-PC...Continue Reading

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