Relationship between glucocorticoid receptors and glucocorticoid resistance in children with idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura / 中国当代儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the relationship between the expression of alpha and beta-isoforms of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and glucocorticoid resistance in children with idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of GR alpha and GR beta mRNA in PBMC from 30 children with ITP (glucocorticoid-sensitive, n=18; glucocorticoid-resistant, n=12) and 10 healthy children (control group). Enzyme immunoassay was used to measure plasma levels of total glucocorticoids.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no significant differences in PBMC GR alpha mRNA levels among the glucocorticoid sensitive, the glucocorticoid-resistant and the control groups. Compared with the glucocorticoid-sensitive and the control groups, the expression of GR beta mRNA in the glucocorticoid-resistant group was significantly up-regulated (p<0.01). Plasma total glucocorticoids level in the glucocorticoid-resistant group was found to be much higher than that in the glucocorticoid-sensitive and the control groups (p<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The up-regulated expression of GR beta mRNA may associated with glucocorticoid resistance in children with ITP.</p>