Estrogen-induced suppression of collagen arthritis. III. Adult thymectomy does not affect the course of arthritis or the estrogen-mediated suppression of T-cell immunity.
Type II collagen-induced arthritis is dependent on the activation of T-helper cells and is modulated by female sex hormones. It is shown that treatment of castrated female DBA/1 mice with beta-estradiol decreases the incidence (32% vs 88%) as well as the severity of the disease. The estrogen-induced suppression of both the development of collagen arthritis and T-cell immunity were not dependent on the thymus. Thus, estrogen treatment of thymectomized and castrated female mice suppressed the incidence (21% versus 100% in controls) and severity of arthritis. Similarly, estrogen treatment of thymectomized and castrated female mice suppressed both antigen-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity and T-cell proliferative responses. These data suggest that the estrogen-mediated suppression of arthritis and T-cell immunity is not dependent on the presence of an intact thymus.
Holmdahl
R
R
Department of Medical and Physiological Chemistry, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Jansson
L
L
D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D003094:Collagen; D004343:Drug Implants; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010052:Ovariectomy; D013934:Thymectomy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D004343:Drug Implants; D004958:Estradiol; D003094:Collagen