• Yan-hong Zhao, Jin Zhou, and Xiao-xia Li.
• Department of Hematology, The First Clinical Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China.
• Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi. 2005 May 1;44(5):363-5.

ObjectiveTo clarify the relationship between the expression of alpha- and beta-isoforms of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and response to glucocorticoid in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) of patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP).MethodsSemi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of GRalpha, beta in PBMC of patients with ITP and to observe the different responses to glucocorticoid in controls. Immunocytochemical assay was used to detect the expression of protein of GRalpha and GRbeta.Results(1) The expression of GRalpha mRNA was detected in a sensitive group and a resistant group of patients with ITP and all the controls with GRalpha/GAPDH mRNA 1.15 +/- 0.75, 1.63 +/- 0.78, 1.27 +/- 0.51 respectively. (2) The expression of GRbeta mRNA in PBMC in the resistant group of patients with ITP was significantly higher than that in the sensitive group and the controls (P < 0.05), with GRbeta/GAPDH mRNA 1.42 +/- 0.73, 0.82 +/- 0.59, 0.80 +/- 0.68 respectively. (3) The number of GRbeta-positive PBMC in the resistant group was significantly higher than that in the sensitive group and the controls (P < 0.01), with the number of GRbeta-positive PBMC 28.8 +/- 9.9, 5.9 +/- 3.2, 5.5 +/- 6.8 respectively.ConclusionIt is shown that the excessive expression of GRbeta may serve as a novel predictor of glucocorticoid resistance in patients with ITP.

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