IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE EFFECT OF BUDESONIDE ON HUMAN LAMINA PROPRIA LYMPHOCYTES

Budesonide, a beta-adreno-receptor agonist, is comparable to corticost eroid in the treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease wit h the advantage of minimal side effect. Although the immunomodulatory effects of budesonide on the circulatory and respiratory mucosal immun e system have been reported, its effect on the human gut immune system has not been published. In this study, the effect of budesonide on th e human gut immune system was compared to methyl-prednisolone. The cel lular immune function was measured in-vitro by DNA synthesis, ornithin e decarboxylase (ODC) activity and TNFalpha secretion. We found that b oth drugs have a comparable inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis, ODC ac tivity and suppression of TNFalpha secretion. Exogenous addition of IL -2, did not restore the antiproliferative effect of both drugs. We con clude that budesonide has a comparative suppressive effect to methyl-p rednisolone on the gut immune system which is not related to IL-2 secr etion. The antiproliferative response may explain the therapeutic effe ct of budesonide on patients with inflammatory bowel disease. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.