| First Author | Verthelyi DI | Year | 1998 |
| Journal | Cell Immunol | Volume | 189 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | 125-34 |
| PubMed ID | 9790726 | Mgi Jnum | J:50795 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1309733 | Doi | 10.1006/cimm.1998.1372 |
| Citation | Verthelyi DI, et al. (1998) Estrogen increases the number of plasma cells and enhances their autoantibody production in nonautoimmune C57BL/6 mice. Cell Immunol 189(2):125-34 |
| abstractText | The immunological consequences of chronic estrogen exposure in normal individuals are not known, particularly in relation to B cells. In this study, by employing ELIspot, image cytometry, flow cytometry, cytology, and ELISA, we show that long-term exposure of normal mice to estrogen activates B cells to produce higher numbers of not only immunoglobulin- producing cells, but also autoantibody-producing cells. Estrogen promoted a decrease in B220(+) splenic lymphocytes, but resulted in a 10-fold increase in plasma cells. Further, the output of immunoglobulins including autoantibodies from individual plasma cells from estrogen-exposed mice was markedly increased, suggesting B cell hyperactivity. Importantly, our findings show that treatment of normal mice, solely with estrogen, can override B cell tolerance and promote autoreactive B cells in normal individuals. Copyright 1998 Academic Press. |
