Effect of dexamethasone on serum transcobalamin II concentration in women undergoing pelvic surgery.

Dexamethasone (120 mg/day for 2 days) was administered intramuscularly to young females undergoing pelvic surgery for infertility. The therapy was shown to cause a transient increase in the serum level of the granulocyte-produced transcobalamins (TCI and TCIII) and more significantly in the monocyte-produced transcobalamin (TCII), from 1220 +/- 70 to 1980 +/- 158 pg/ml (P less than 0.001). The change closely followed a transient elevation of EA rosette forming cells in the peripheral blood (from 20 to 50% of the total mononuclear cell population), which are mainly monocytes. The observed effects were shown to be independent of the surgical trauma. The results indicate that the increase in serum TCII can be attributed to an effect of dexamethasone on monocytes.