GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTORS IN NORMAL HUMAN EOSINOPHILS - COMPARISON WITH NEUTROPHILS

[摘要] Glucocorticoids, steroid hormones with potent anti-inflammatory effects, are used extensively in the treatment of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Eosinophils and neutrophils, responsive to glucocorticoid hormones, play a prominent role in many of these inflammatory and hypersensitivity diseases. Saturation analysis with [3H]-dexamethasone was employed to measure glucocorticoid binding in purified preparations of human eosinophils and neutrophils. Eosinophils contained 10.8 .+-. 1.3 .times. 103 high-affinity receptor sites per cell, with a Kd of 15.3 .+-. 0.6 nM dexamethasone. Cortisol was capable of competing with [3H]-dexamethasone in the binding reaction, whereas progesterone, estradiol, estriol and testosterone were less effective. Saturable glucocorticoid binding in neutrophils had a Kd of 17.7 .+-. 0.8 nM dexamethasone with 11.1 .+-. 0.8 .times. 103 sites/cell and displayed similar steroid specificity. Normal human eosinophils have glucocorticoid receptors with characteristics similar to those in neutrophils. In these cells ligand-receptor interaction can occur at physiologic glucocorticoid concentrations. Certain glucocorticoid effects on eosinophils and neutrophils may be mediated through specific receptors.