R. M. Kocan J. R. Winton P.K. Hershberger J.A. Perry 2004 <p>Application of pharmacological doses of the corticosteroid dexamethasone phosphate to starry flounder <i>Platichthys stellatus</i> resulted in a predisposition to clinical ichthyophoniasis and a progression from latent <i>Ichthyophonus</i> infections to patent, histologically identifiable infections. Among <i>Ichthyophonus</i>-challenged starry flounder, the prevalences of clinical infections and histologically identifiable infections were significantly greater in two groups that received dexamethasone (100% and 31%, respectively) than in the respective control groups (8% and 0%). Proliferation of <i>Ichthyophonus</i> infections in corticosteroid-treated groups may have resulted from suppression of the cellular immune response that typically follows corticosteroid application; however, further studies are needed to determine whether these effects occur at lower, physiological concentrations of corticosteroids.</p> application/pdf 10.1577/H03-056.1 en Taylor & Francis Online High doses of corticosteroid suppress resistance to Ichthyophonus in starry flounder article