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Alpha and beta glucocorticoid receptors: Relevance in airway diseases

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Abstract

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the most common and effective drugs for treating inflammatory airway respiratory diseases. Despite their efficacy, some patients respond poorly to GC treatment. Alterations in the expression of the receptor that mediates GC actions, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), are one of the potential mechanisms that would explain GC insensitivity. In this review, we present an update on the GR gene and its products, namely GRα and GRβ, as well as their alterations in disease. GRα has a widespread distribution and is responsible for the induction and repression of target genes, whereas GRβ can act as a dominant negative inhibitor of GRα-mediated transactivation and transrepression. Very low GRβ mRNA levels have been detected in a number of cells and tissues, which often contradict GRβ protein data. Nevertheless, an association between GC insensitivity and increased GRβ expression has been reported in asthma, nasal polyposis, and ulcerative colitis, and in vitro, certain pro-inflammatory cytokines upregulate GRβ expression. However, the role of GRβ in modulating GC sensitivity in vivo has been highly debated and is as yet unclear.

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  1. Servei d’Otorinolaringologia, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain

    Joaquim Mullol MD, PhD

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  1. Laura Pujols PhD
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  2. Joaquim Mullol MD, PhD
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  3. César Picado MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Joaquim Mullol MD, PhD.

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Pujols, L., Mullol, J. & Picado, C. Alpha and beta glucocorticoid receptors: Relevance in airway diseases. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 7, 93–99 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-007-0005-3

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