Corticosteroids stimulate an increase in phospholipase A2 inhibitor in human serum.

A corticosteroid induced increase in a circulating inhibitor of serum phospholipase A2 activity is described. Inhibitor activity was found to be normally present in serum in agreement with the findings of other workers, and this activity was significantly increased by either acute or chronic administration of corticosteroids. The possible relation of this inhibitor to the known inhibitory effects of lipocortin and sphingomyelin on phospholipase A2 activity is briefly discussed.