title: Oestrogen treatment reduces duration of experimental allergic neuritis in rats and suppresses T cell responses to myelin.
abstract: The effects of oestrogen and pregnancy on the disease course of experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) in rats were investigated. Pregnant rats were totally protected from EAN and long term 17-beta-oestradiol treatment significantly shortened the disease duration. Lymph node cells from oestrogen treated rats had a suppressed proliferative response when stimulated with myelin or PPD, both when the response was measured immediately after cell preparation and after 72 h cell culture in vitro. Serum levels of IgG antibodies against myelin, P2 or PPD did not differ between treated and non-treated rats although oestrogen treated rats had significantly higher levels of total IgG. Immunohistochemical stainings of nerve roots showed less intensive invasion of T lymphocytes in the oestrogen treated group while immunoreactivity to both class I and II major histocompatibility complex antigens did not differ in between the groups. These findings show that oestrogen ameliorates EAN and suggest that this effect is mediated by suppression of T cell dependent immunity. Factors in addition to oestrogen may be operative during pregnancy when a total protection from EAN is obtained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strigård
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holmdahl
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Olsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000276:immunology*; D009444:Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains; D004958:Estradiol