CD4 T lymphocytes from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have decreased interferon-γ production and increased sensitivity to dexamethasone

A disturbed hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland axis and alterations at the immune system level have been observed in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Glucocorticoids are known to modulate T cell responses; therefore, purified CD4 T cells from CFS patients were studied to determine whether they have an altered sensitivity to...

Differences in dexamethasone-sensitivity between lymphocytes from patients with Alzheimer's disease and patients with multi-infarct dementia

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 40 consecutive patients entering a screening program on cognitive impairment were studied in vitro with respect to their sensitivity to dexamethasone (DEX). Phytohemagglutinin-induced proliferation by PBMC from patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) was less sensitive to the...

Correlation between the antibody response to influenza vaccine and helper T cell subsets in healthy ageing

To investigate the effects of the altered composition of the helper T cell compartment in ageing on the humoral response to influenza vaccine, we investigated correlations between helper T cell subsets and anti-influenza antibody responses in 23 JUNIEUR healthy young and 41 SENIEUR healthy elderly subjects. Naive helper T cell numbers (CD4...

Differential sensitivity of human naive and memory CD4+ T cells for dexamethasone

Human CD45RA+ ('naive') and CD45RO+ ('memory') CD4+ T cells were compared with respect to their sensitivity to dexamethasone (DEX). In three different activation pathways, i.e. (i) immobilized anti-CD3, (ii) immobilized anti-CD3 plus soluble anti-CD28 and (iii) soluble anti-CD2 plus soluble anti-CD28, naive CD4+ T cells appeared more sensitive...

Abrogation of the suppressive effects of dexamethasone by PKC activation or CD28 triggering

The suppressive effect of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) on purified CD4+ T cells was found to depend on the activation pathway. In contrast to anti-CD3- or PHA-induced T cell proliferation, the alternative pathway of T cell activation, i.e., through anti-CD2 and anti-CD28, appeared largely resistant to DEX. By titrating anti-CD28 or the...

Decreased sensitivity to dexamethasone in lymphocytes from patients with Alzheimer's disease

Cortisol levels in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are relatively unaffected by a challenge with dexamethasone (DEX) in vivo. The present study demonstrates that DEX is less inhibitory for phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced T cell proliferation in AD patients as compared to age-matched controls. Since no significant differences were found...