title: Estriol ameliorates autoimmune demyelinating disease: implications for multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of estriol in the treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and other cell mediated autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis is a T helper 1 (Th1)-mediated autoimmune demyelinating disease that is a useful model for the study of immune responses in MS. Interestingly, both EAE and MS have been shown to be ameliorated during late pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Estriol, progesterone, and placebo pellets were implanted in mice during the effector phase of adoptive EAE. Disease scores were compared between treatment groups, and autoantigen-specific humoral and cellular responses were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estriol treatment reduced the severity of EAE significantly compared with placebo treatment whereas progesterone treatment had no effect. Estriol doses that induced serum estriol levels that approximated estriol levels during late pregnancy were capable of ameliorating disease. Estriol-treated EAE mice had significantly higher levels of serum antibodies of the immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 isotype specific for the autoantigen myelin basic protein (MBP). Further, MBP-specific T-lymphocyte responses from estriol-treated EAE mice were characterized by significantly increased production of the Th2 cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10). T lymphocytes were shown to be the primary source of IL-10 within antigen-stimulated splenocyte populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Estriol as a hormone involved in immune changes during pregnancy may provide a basis for the novel therapeutic use of estriol for MS and other putative Th1-mediated autoimmune diseases that improve during late pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Liva
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Verity
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Voskuhl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D004964:Estriol / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D016753:Interleukin-10; D004964:Estriol