Parallel determination of mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors in T- and B-lymphocytes of human spleen

The binding characteristics of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors were determined in T- and B-lymphocytes from the spleen of four deceased kidney donors. The number of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors was equivalent in T- and B-cells (respectively, 1308 +/- 364 and 1335 +/- 520 glucocorticoid receptors per cell, and 174 +/- 29 and 164 +/- 24 mineralocorticoid receptors per cell). The number of binding sites per cell was 5- to 10-fold higher for dexamethasone than for aldosterone. The apparent dissociation constant of dexamethasone for glucocorticoid receptors was 2-fold higher than that of aldosterone for mineralocorticoid receptors. In conclusion, subpopulations of human lymphocytes have an equal number of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors.