Abstract
We examined whether glucocorticoids could modulate the expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA), the principal regulator of the processes of immunoglobulin gene somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination in B lymphocytes. Treatment of human B cells with IL-4 and anti-CD40 antibody for 18-20. h resulted in induction of expression of AICDA mRNA by over 10-fold. Dexamethasone at 10. nM concentration inhibited AICDA induction by an average of 51.8% (p< 0.0001). These effects of glucocorticoids were found to be dose dependent in the physiologic range and were reversible by co-treatment with a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist. Human B cell viability and proliferation were unaltered by glucocorticoid treatment. These data demonstrate that physiologic concentrations of glucocorticoids can act on human B lymphocytes through glucocorticoid receptor-mediated mechanisms to diminish the expression of AICDA, a key regulator of humoral immune responses.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 881-887 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology |
Volume | 382 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 15 2014 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Endocrinology