Proliferative response of lymphocyte to pokeweed mitogen depends on the concentration of endogenous cortisol in the early post-traumatic period in patients with penetrating eye injury.

The intensity of lymphocyte proliferation in response to pokeweed mitogen depends on cortisol level in the peripheral blood in the early post-traumatic period of penetrating eye injury. Lymphocyte proliferation in 72- and 96-h cultures from patients with high levels of endogenous hormone was suppressed. In 120-h cultures, the intensity of proliferation remains unchanged. Lymphocyte blast transformation was increased in 120-h cultures from patients with normal cortisol concentration and remained unchanged in case of low cortisol level.