0 1 A a DT 2 12 microtitre microtitre NN 13 18 assay assay NN 19 25 system system NN 26 29 for for IN 30 44 glucocorticoid glucocorticoid NN 45 54 receptors receptor NNS 54 55 : : : 56 65 decreased decrease VBN 66 74 receptor receptor NN 75 88 concentration concentration NN 89 91 in in IN 92 102 myocardial myocardial JJ 103 113 infarction infarction NN 113 114 . . . 116 117 A a DT 118 123 major major JJ 124 134 difficulty difficulty NN 135 137 in in IN 138 151 determination determination NN 152 154 of of IN 155 169 glucocorticoid glucocorticoid NN 170 178 receptor receptor NN 179 184 sites site NNS 185 187 is be VBZ 188 191 the the DT 192 196 very very RB 197 208 complicated complicate VBN 209 214 assay assay NN 215 224 procedure procedure NN 224 225 . . . 226 235 Therefore therefore RB 235 236 , , , 237 239 we we PRP 240 248 describe describe VBP 249 250 a a DT 251 261 microtitre microtitre NN 262 267 assay assay NN 268 274 system system NN 275 278 for for IN 279 293 glucocorticoid glucocorticoid NN 294 303 receptors receptor NNS 304 309 which which WDT 310 312 is be VBZ 313 314 a a DT 315 325 whole-cell whole-cell JJ 326 337 competitive competitive JJ 338 345 binding binding NN 346 356 radioassay radioassay NN 357 362 using use VBG 363 364 [ [ ( 364 381 3H]-dexamethasone 3H]-dexamethasone NNP 382 384 as as IN 385 396 radioligand radioligand NN 396 397 . . . 398 402 This this DT 403 415 modification modification NN 416 418 of of IN 419 420 a a DT 421 431 previously previously RB 432 441 described describe VBN 442 450 protocol protocol NN 451 461 simplifies simplify VBZ 462 465 and and CC 466 473 reduces reduce VBZ 474 484 laboratory laboratory NN 485 489 work work NN 490 493 and and CC 494 500 allows allow VBZ 501 506 assay assay NN 507 522 reproducibility reproducibility NN 523 525 to to TO 526 528 be be VB 529 539 controlled control VBN 540 544 more more RBR 545 553 reliably reliably RB 553 554 . . . 555 559 Thus thus RB 560 567 enabled enable VBN 568 570 to to TO 571 578 perform perform VB 579 582 the the DT 583 587 test test NN 588 590 on on IN 591 599 multiple multiple JJ 600 605 blood blood NN 606 613 samples sample NNS 614 616 in in IN 617 625 parallel parallel NN 625 626 , , , 627 629 we we PRP 630 642 investigated investigate VBD 643 650 cardiac cardiac JJ 651 661 infarction infarction NN 662 670 patients patient NNS 671 675 over over IN 676 677 a a DT 678 684 12-day 12-day JJ 685 691 period period NN 692 694 to to TO 695 699 test test VB 700 702 if if IN 703 717 glucocorticoid glucocorticoid NN 718 726 receptor receptor NN 727 734 binding binding NN 735 737 is be VBZ 738 745 altered alter VBN 746 748 in in IN 749 753 this this DT 754 755 ‘ ` `` 755 764 stressful stressful JJ 764 765 ’ ' '' 766 773 disease disease NN 773 774 . . . 775 777 On on IN 778 781 the the DT 782 787 first first JJ 788 791 day day NN 792 794 of of IN 795 798 the the DT 799 806 disease disease NN 806 807 , , , 808 822 glucocorticoid glucocorticoid NN 823 831 receptor receptor NN 832 840 capacity capacity NN 841 844 was be VBD 845 858 significantly significantly RB 859 868 decreased decrease VBN 869 876 without without IN 877 887 alteration alteration NN 888 890 of of IN 891 894 the the DT 895 910 receptor-ligand receptor-ligand JJ 911 919 affinity affinity NN 919 920 , , , 921 928 whereas whereas IN 929 931 on on IN 932 936 days day NNS 937 938 4 4 CD 939 942 and and CC 943 945 12 12 CD 946 949 the the DT 950 956 number number NN 957 959 of of IN 960 968 receptor receptor NN 969 974 sites site NNS 975 978 was be VBD 979 985 normal normal JJ 986 991 again again RB 991 992 . . . 993 997 This this DT 998 1004 result result NN 1005 1009 fits fit VBZ 1010 1014 well well RB 1015 1019 into into IN 1020 1023 the the DT 1024 1031 general general JJ 1032 1043 observation observation NN 1044 1046 of of IN 1047 1061 stress-induced stress-induced JJ 1062 1077 down-regulation down-regulation NN 1078 1080 of of IN 1081 1087 immune immune JJ 1088 1097 responses response NNS 1097 1098 . . .