title: Enhanced immunological response by dendritic cells in male hypogonadism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effect of male hypogonadism on the immune response is poorly understood, even though testosterone has both immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects in men.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we compared the distribution and functional status of peripheral blood (PB) monocytes, dendritic cells (DCs) [CD16(+) (monocytoid), CD33(+) (myeloid) and CD33(-) (plasmacytoid)] and CD4(+) CD25(+)CD127(-/lo) regulatory T cells from hypogonadic men and control subjects. Immunophenotypic studies were performed both on resting and in vitro-stimulated cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, no significant differences were detected on the number of monocytes, DCs and CD4(+) CD25(+) CD127(-/lo) regulatory T cells between both groups of subjects. However, hypogonadic men showed slightly higher numbers of circulating CD16(+) cells expressing the CD107b activation/degranulation-associated marker than controls, such differences reaching statistical significance after in vitro stimulation with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides. Interestingly, antigen-stimulated expression of CD107b on CD16(+) cells inversely correlated with the serum concentrations of total testosterone (r(2)=-0.45; P=0.01), free testosterone (r(2)=-0.48; P=0.005), calculated free testosterone (r(2)=-0.44; P=0.01) and bioavailable testosterone (r(2)=-0.46; P=0.008) among all cases studied, as well as with both the LH (r(2)=-0.53, P=0.04) and FSH (r(2)=-0.54, P=0.04) serum levels among hypogonadic men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show an enhanced immunological response of circulating (activated) CD16(+) DCs to antigen stimulation, which was inversely related to testosterone and gonadotropin serum levels. Such findings suggest a modulation by the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis of the immune response and may have clinical implications for hypogonadic men, as regards susceptibility to autoimmune diseases and increased responses to antigenic stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Service of Endocrinology, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain. corrales@usal.es
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Corrales
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cordero
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martín-Martín
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Méndez
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Miralles
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orfao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D052119:Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 2 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D052119:Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 2; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone