Effect of corticosteroids on the response of lymphocytes to stimulation by galactose oxidase-modified lymphocytes.

Human peripheral blood mononuclear cell preparations, after treatment by neuraminidase plus galactose oxidase, stimulated untreated lymphocytes. The increases in tritiated thymidine incorporation in the responder lymphocytes were observed after 48 h of mixed cell cultures. Monocytedepleted lymphocyte preparations were equally effective stimulator cells. Both purified T and B fractions were effective stimulator cells. On the other hand, only the T but not the B fractions could respond to the stimulation. The response of the cells to this type of stimulation was suppressed by 10(4)-10(7) M of the corticosteroid preparation methylprednisolone. When the cells treated with neuraminidase plus galactose oxidase were cultured alone for 48 h, they lost their stimulating capacity. However this loss could not be prevented by the presence in the culture of methylprednisolone. Hence the drug has selective suppressive activity on one type of lymphocyte activity but not the other.