       Document 0357
 DOCN  M9650357
 TI    The role of endogenous glucocorticoids on host T cell populations in the
       peripheral lymphoid organs of mice with graft-versus-host disease.
 DT    9605
 AU    You-Ten KE; Lapp WS; Department of Physiology, McGill University,
       Montreal, Quebec,; Canada.
 SO    Transplantation. 1996 Jan 15;61(1):76-83. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96144872
 AB    Previously, we demonstrated that immature CD4+8+ and mature CD4+
       thymocyte populations were selectively eliminated during murine
       graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) as a consequence of elevated levels of
       endogenous glucocorticoids. In this report, we investigated whether the
       marked reduction of CD4+8+ and CD4+ thymocyte populations would affect
       host CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations in the spleens and lymph nodes
       (LN) of mice undergoing GVHD. GVHD was induced in (C57BL/6 x A)F1
       (B6AF1) mice by injecting A strain parental lymphoid cells. Using an
       antibody against H2Kb antigens, labeled host B6AF1 cells were
       distinguished from unlabeled donor A cells. Our results demonstrated a
       marked deficiency of host CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the spleens and LN of
       GVHD mice on day 21 after GVHD induction. The severe reduction of host T
       cell populations in the peripheral lymphoid organs did not appear to
       result from the elimination of CD4+8+ and CD4+ thymocyte populations.
       However, adrenalectomy before GVHD induction reversed the severe loss of
       both host CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations in the LN of GVHD mice on day
       21, whereas cortisone treatment of adrenalectomized (ADX) GVHD mice
       resulted in reduction of host LN CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations
       similar to that observed in non-ADX GVHD animals on day 21. In addition,
       adrenalectomy markedly improved the proliferative response of LN T cells
       to mitogens when compared with immunosuppressed T cells from the LN of
       non-ADX GVHD mice. In contrast, adrenalectomy did not reverse splenic T
       cell immunosuppression and the marked reduction of splenic host T cell
       populations during GVHD. These results suggest that high levels of
       endogenous glucocorticoids during GVHD play a central role in mediating
       severe deficiency of host T cell populations and inducing severe T cell
       immunosuppression in the LN, but not in the spleen, of GVHD mice.
 DE    Adrenalectomy  Animal  CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/*IMMUNOLOGY
       CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/*IMMUNOLOGY  Glucocorticoids/*METABOLISM
       Graft vs Host Disease/*IMMUNOLOGY/METABOLISM  Immunophenotyping
       Lymphoid Tissue/*IMMUNOLOGY  Mice  Mice, Inbred Strains  Support,
       Non-U.S. Gov't  T-Lymphocyte Subsets/*IMMUNOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

