Estriol ameliorates autoimmune demyelinating disease: implications for multiple sclerosis.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Estriol ameliorates autoimmune demyelinating disease: implications for multiple sclerosis.

Neurology. 1999 Apr 12;52(6):1230-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99229562
Kim S; Liva SM; Dalal MA; Verity MA; Voskuhl RR; Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles; School of Medicine, USA.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of estriol in the treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and other cell mediated autoimmune diseases. BACKGROUND: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis is a T helper 1 (Th1)-mediated autoimmune demyelinating disease that is a useful model for the study of immune responses in MS. Interestingly, both EAE and MS have been shown to be ameliorated during late pregnancy. METHODS: Estriol, progesterone, and placebo pellets were implanted in mice during the effector phase of adoptive EAE. Disease scores were compared between treatment groups, and autoantigen-specific humoral and cellular responses were examined. RESULTS: Estriol treatment reduced the severity of EAE significantly compared with placebo treatment whereas progesterone treatment had no effect. Estriol doses that induced serum estriol levels that approximated estriol levels during late pregnancy were capable of ameliorating disease. Estriol-treated EAE mice had significantly higher levels of serum antibodies of the immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 isotype specific for the autoantigen myelin basic protein (MBP). Further, MBP-specific T-lymphocyte responses from estriol-treated EAE mice were characterized by significantly increased production of the Th2 cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10). T lymphocytes were shown to be the primary source of IL-10 within antigen-stimulated splenocyte populations. CONCLUSIONS: Estriol as a hormone involved in immune changes during pregnancy may provide a basis for the novel therapeutic use of estriol for MS and other putative Th1-mediated autoimmune diseases that improve during late pregnancy.

Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Animal Autoimmune Diseases/*IMMUNOLOGY Brain/IMMUNOLOGY Disease Models, Animal Encephalomyelitis, Allergic/*DRUG THERAPY/*IMMUNOLOGY Estriol/BLOOD/*IMMUNOLOGY/*THERAPEUTIC USE Female Interleukin-10/BIOSYNTHESIS Male Mice Multiple Sclerosis/*IMMUNOLOGY Myelin Basic Proteins/IMMUNOLOGY Pregnancy Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Th1 Cells/IMMUNOLOGY
990730
A9970607

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