Concentration of glucocorticoid receptor sites in normal human lymphocytes.

We used a whole-cell glucocorticoid receptor assay to examine characteristics of the glucocorticoid receptor in the lymphocytes of normal human donors. We measured binding of [3H]dexamethasone to the lymphocytes of four different donors on several different occasions; the variation about the mean for the assays was +/- 15%. Whole-cell assays in 15 normal subjects showed a mean value of 6.18 fmol/10(6) cells or 3722 sites per cell, with a somewhat higher level in men (7.67 fmol/10(6) cells, or 4620 sites per cell) than women (4.48 fmol/10(6) cells, or 2698 sites per cell). We saw no correlation between donor age and receptor values, in either group. Assays in which we used [3H]prednisolone demonstrated similar binding properties as with [3H]dexamethasone. The mean glucocorticoid receptor value for normal human T-cells from three donors was 2.52 fmol/10(6) cells, or 1518 sites per cell.