PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Brunetti, Mauro
AU  - Colasante, Antonella
AU  - Mascetra, Nicola
AU  - Piantelli, Mauro
AU  - Musiani, Piero
AU  - Aiello, Francesca B.
TI  - IL-10 Synergizes with Dexamethasone in Inhibiting Human T Cell Proliferation
DP  - 1998 May 01
TA  - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
PG  - 915--919
VI  - 285
IP  - 2
4099  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/285/2/915.short
4100  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/285/2/915.full
SO  - J Pharmacol Exp Ther1998 May 01; 285
AB  - We have evaluated the effects of dexamethasone (Dex) alone or in combination with interleukin (IL)-10 or transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) on human T cell proliferation. Both IL-10 and TGF-β1 significantly decreased the Dex concentration needed to inhibit T cell proliferation by 50% (IC50). Dex in combination with IL-10 completely inhibited T cell proliferation, even when IL-10 alone was ineffective, as in the case of phytohemagglutinin-induced T cell proliferation. The evaluation of the results according to the isobole method displayed a potent synergistic activity between Dex and IL-10, whereas the combination of Dex with TGF-β1 was additive. IL-10, but not TGF-β1, enhanced the inhibitory effect of Dex on IL-2 production. IL-2 and IL-4 only partly antagonized the antiproliferative effect of the combinations. IL-4 was as effective as IL-2 in antagonizing the combination of Dex with TGF-β1, but significantly less effective against the combination of Dex with IL-10. IL-10 and TGF-β1 are thus able to potentiate the Dex inhibitory effect on T cell proliferation and could be regarded as potential agents for future immunosuppressive protocols. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics