“…GCs inXuence the cells of innate immunity such as monocytes/macrophages, neutrophils and NK cells (Schmidt et al, 1999), down-regulate monocyte-secreted proinXammatory mediators (Joyce et al, 1997;Breuninger et al, 1993) and inhibit adherence, chemotaxis, phagocytosis and cytotoxic activity (McGillen and Phair, 1979;Roth and Kaeberle, 1981;McEwen et al, 1997;Rogers et al, 1999). In addition, after in vivo or in vitro exposures to GCs, bactericidal and fungicidal ability (Rinehart et al, 1975), cytokine production, MHC class II expression (Snyder and Unanue, 1982) and tumoricidal activity (Hogan and Vogel, 1988;Keil et al, 1995) of humans and murine macrophages were decreased.…”