Plasma corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) concentrations decrease dramatically in patients with septic shock or burn injury. This decrease suggests that mediators of the acute phase response, such as cytokines and glucocorticoid hormones, might influence clearance as well as liver synthesis of CBG in humans. The present study investigated the effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1 beta, and dexamethasone on CBG synthesis by a clone of human hepatoblastoma-derived (HepG2) cell line. In culture medium from HepG2 cells, the immunoconcentration of CBG and the levels of CBG messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) were dose dependently decreased in the presence of IL-6 concentrations ranging from 0.1-10 ng/mL. The percent decrease in CBG immunoconcentration was quantitatively similar to the percent decrease in CBG mRNA levels (29 +/- 6% and 39 +/- 15%, respectively, of control values). In contrast, and as expected, IL-6 dose dependently increased the mRNA levels (164 +/- 22% of control values) of alpha 1-antitrypsin, a positive acute phase protein, but did not affect the immunoconcentration of sex hormone-binding globulin, another liver protein. Dexamethasone alone did not significantly affect CBG secretion or mRNA levels, but did dose-dependently increase tyrosine amino-transferase mRNA levels, which increased to 252 +/- 16% of the control values. However, in combination with IL-6, dexamethasone had a significant additive effect on IL-6 inhibition of CBG secretion and mRNAs in HepG2 cells. IL-1 beta dose-dependently stimulated CBG secretion (156 +/- 10% of control values) with no significant effect on CBG mRNA levels. In addition, IL-1 beta significantly decreased the inhibitory effect of IL-6 on CBG secretion, but had no effect on the inhibitory effect of IL-6 on CBG mRNA levels. These results suggest that IL-1 beta acts on the posttranslation processing and/or secretion mechanisms of CBG in HepG2 cells. Together, the present results strongly support the hypothesis that the decrease in plasma CBG concentrations is associated with the increase in IL-6 and glucocorticoid levels reported in patients with septic shock and burn injury.