title: Estradiol ameliorates arthritis and protects against systemic bone loss in Staphylococcus aureus infection in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of bacterial arthritis, which is associated with progressive bone loss in affected joints. We recently showed that S. aureus infection also induces a significant systemic bone loss in mice. This study was performed to assess the effect of estradiol treatment on the clinical course and outcome of S. aureus arthritis and on infection-induced bone loss in experimental S. aureus infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were ovariectomized, treated with estradiol or placebo, and S. aureus infection was established by intravenous inoculation of bacteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estradiol treatment was found to decrease significantly the frequency and clinical severity of S. aureus arthritis, a finding that was accompanied with significantly higher serum levels of interleukin-10 in estradiol-treated mice. Estradiol was also highly protective against S. aureus-induced systemic trabecular, and cortical bone loss. Lack of endogenous estrogens and S. aureus infection had additive effects on trabecular bone loss. The S. aureus-infected, ovariectomized mice lost as much as 76% of their trabecular bone mass.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with estradiol ameliorates S. aureus arthritis and is protective against infection-induced systemic bone loss in experimental S. aureus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Guldhedsgatan 10A, Gothenburg, S-413 46, Sweden. catharina.lindholm@rheuma.gu.se.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gjertsson
authors.forename: Marie K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lagerquist
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kristiansson
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carlsten
authors.forename: Catharina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindholm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol