[The immunological activity of corticosteroids]

Abstract

Corticosteroids are among the most used anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. The most recent reports have shown that the corticosteroids: A) modulate the lymphocyte recirculation and induce a lymphocyte depletion mainly regarding to the CD4 cells. B) Inhibit several lymphocyte activities, as well as their capacity to secrete cytokines and their clonal expansion under activating conditions. C) Induce apoptosis in primed T cells. D) Modulate the synthesis and activity of nuclear factors AP1 and NFkB. Moreover several data suggest that the molecular manipulations of cortisol, performed with the aim of improving its therapeutic efficiency, might change its capacity to bind the cytoplasmic receptor and/or generate CTS/CTS-R compounds that have different capacity to migrate through the nuclear membrane and/or to activate the nuclear responsive elements inducing different biologic responses.