title: Human semen induces interleukin 10 and 70 kDa heat shock protein gene transcription and inhibits interferon-gamma messenger RNA production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: The influence of semen on immunity in sexually active women has been scarcely studied. The effect of human semen on production of messenger RNA (mRNA) for the anti-inflammatory TH2-related cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10), the 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) and the pro-inflammatory TH1-related cytokine, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was examined. Co-incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 10 women with a non-cytotoxic 1:50 dilution of semen lead to induction of IL-10 mRNA. Semen from each of seven different men tested induced IL-10 mRNA in PBMC. IL-10 protein was also released into the culture supernatant after PBMC-semen co-culture. Similarly, semen induced transcription of the HSP70 gene in PBMC obtained from 10 women. In contrast, semen did not induce IFN-gamma mRNA in any of the female PBMC donors. Furthermore, semen markedly inhibited IFN-gamma mRNA production without affecting cell viability in PBMC that were cocultured with phytohaemagglutinin, a potent IFN-gamma-inducing T-cell mitogen. Thus, human semen is both an inducer of an anti-inflammatory (TH2) immune response and an inhibitor of pro-inflammatory (TH1) cell-mediated immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeremias
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mockel
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Witkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma