Skip Navigation


International Immunology Advance Access originally published online on February 7, 2007
International Immunology 2007 19(3):287-296; doi:10.1093/intimm/dxl145
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
19/3/287    most recent
dxl145v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (9)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Butts, C. L.
Right arrow Articles by Sternberg, E. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Butts, C. L.
Right arrow Articles by Sternberg, E. M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?



Progesterone inhibits mature rat dendritic cells in a receptor-mediated fashion

Cherie L. Butts1, Shetha A. Shukair1, Kristina M. Duncan1, Eve Bowers1,2, Cash Horn1, Elena Belyavskaya1, Leonardo Tonelli3 and Esther M. Sternberg1

1 Section on Neuroendocrine Immunology and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health/National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
2 Howard Hughes Medical Institutions, Bethesda, MD, USA
3 Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

Correspondence to: E. M. Sternberg; E-mail: sternbee{at}mail.nih.gov

A variety of extraimmune system factors, including hormones, play a critical role in regulating immunity. Progesterone has been shown to affect immunity in rodents and humans, mainly at concentrations commensurate with pregnancy. These effects are primarily mediated via the progesterone receptor (PR), which acts as a transcription factor, although non-genomic effects of PR activation have been reported. In this study, we evaluated the effects of progesterone on rat dendritic cells (DCs) at ranges encompassing physiologic and pharmacologic concentrations to determine whether progesterone plays a role in modulating DC-mediated immune responses. DCs were derived by culturing rat bone marrow cells in granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and IL-4. Cells were analyzed for expression of PR using FACS analysis, real-time reverse transcriptase–PCR and fluorescent microscopy. Progesterone treatment of LPS-activated, mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) suppressed production of the pro-inflammatory response-promoting cytokines tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} and IL-1ß in a dose-dependent manner but did not affect production of the pro-inflammatory response-inhibiting cytokine IL-10. Treatment of cells with progesterone also resulted in down-regulation of co-stimulatory molecule CD80 and MHC class II molecule RT1B expression. In addition, progesterone inhibited DC-stimulated proliferation of T cells. Suppression of pro-inflammatory response-promoting cytokine production by progesterone was prevented using the PR antagonist RU486. There was no dose-dependent effect of progesterone treatment on immature DC capacity to take up antigenic peptide. These data indicate that progesterone directly inhibits mature rat BMDC capacity to drive pro-inflammatory responses. This mechanism could contribute to or account for some of the differential expression of autoimmune/inflammatory disease in females.

Keywords: antigen presenting/processing, dendritic cells, progesterone

Transmitting editor: W. Stober

Received 22 August 2006, accepted 21 December 2006.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Leukoc. Biol.Home page
A. S. Tait, C. L. Butts, and E. M. Sternberg
The role of glucocorticoids and progestins in inflammatory, autoimmune, and infectious disease
J. Leukoc. Biol., October 1, 2008; 84(4): 924 - 931.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.