title: High prevalence of increased interleukin-17A serum levels in postmenopausal estrogen deficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postmenopausal estrogen deficiency is associated with chronic inflammatory events that cause cardiovascular and osteoporosis diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between interleukin (IL)-17 and serum estradiol levels, age, and postmenopausal duration, as well as bone loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relationship between serum IL-17A and estradiol levels was studied in 72 postmenopausal women and 22 premenopausal women. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescence were used to detect IL-17A and estradiol, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estradiol levels were significantly higher and IL-17A levels were significantly lower in premenopausal women compared with postmenopausal women (estradiol: 239.44 [226.17] vs 74.21 [4.44] pmol/L, P < 0.0001; IL-17A: 2.88 [0.08] vs 3.5 [0.56] ng/mL, P < 0.0001). Seventy-eight of 94 women had lower estradiol levels (<83 pmol/L) with elevated IL-17A levels, in comparison with 16 women who had normal estrogen levels (3.43 [0.56] vs 3.01 [0.38] ng/mL, P < 0.0001). IL-17A levels inversely correlated with the total lumbar T-scores calculated in all women (P < 0.0001). IL-17A levels showed age-related dependency and a remarkable association with the postmenopausal period (P < 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate a high prevalence of increased serum IL-17A levels in postmenopausal estrogen deficiency, which can play an inducing role in chronic inflammatory events such as bone loss.
authors.affiliation: From the 1Immunoendocrinology and Osteoporosis Center, EndoMed, Debrecen, Hungary; and 2Regional Center of Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ildikó
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bohaty
authors.forename: Éva
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Somogyiné-Vári
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000276:immunology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000276:immunology*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D020381:Interleukin-17; D004958:Estradiol