The effect of prednisolone on antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and the growth of type I herpes simplex virus in human cells.

Treatment of human skin and corneal fibroblasts with prednisolone-21-phosphate did not increase the capacity of these cells to replicate type I herpes simplex virus (HSV). The steroid however was found to (1) inhibit human lymphocytes from mediating antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) against HSV-infected fibroblasts and (2) suppress the replication of virus in PHA-stimulated human lymphocytes. The data suggest that the exacerbation observed when patients with dendritic keratitis are inadvertently treated with prednisolone may be due to the steroid suppressing ADCC and not by promoting the growth of virus in the corneal cells.