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.
Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1732, USA.
V R
VR
Porter
G A
GA
Greendale
M
M
Schocken
X
X
Zhu
R B
RB
Effros
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