Immune effects of hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) confers many health benefits to post-menopausal women. Despite links between estrogen and immune function prior to menopause, the immune status of women receiving HRT has not been rigorously investigated. This case-control study uses clinical laboratory assessment, flow cytometry, and functional assays to measure immune function. Participants included 27 post-menopausal women taking estrogen/progestin combinations, and 22 post-menopausal women not receiving HRT. Compared to the (-)HRT group, the (+)HRT group had more B-cells (p<0.05), higher mitogen-induced T-cell proliferation (p<0.05), and higher levels of induced TNF-alpha (p<0.05). There was a trend towards a lower proportion of CD4+ T-cells expressing the activation marker CD25+ (p<0.10). These findings represent a reversal of immune alterations associated with normal aging, suggesting that preservation or improvement of immune function may be associated with the use of HRT.
Porter
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Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1732, USA.
Greendale
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GA
Schocken
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M
Zhu
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X
Effros
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RB
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D017209:Apoptosis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines