Open AccessEstrogen up-regulates Bcl-2 and blocks tolerance induction of naïve B cells
Author(s) -
Margaret S. Bynoe,
Christine Grimaldi,
Betty Diamond
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.040577497
Subject(s) - biology , antibody , estrogen , immune system , b cell , elispot , immune tolerance , transgene , microbiology and biotechnology , spleen , clonal deletion , endocrinology , immunology , medicine , t cell , gene , genetics , t cell receptor
Sex hormones are presumed to contribute to sexual dimorphism in the immune system. Estrogen, in particular, has been suggested to predispose women to systemic lupus erythematosus. We report here that estradiol (E2 ) can break B cell tolerance and induce a lupus-like phenotype in nonautoimmune mice transgenic for the heavy chain of a pathogenic anti-DNA antibody. E2 treatment resulted in a rise in anti-DNA serum titers and in Ig deposition in renal glomeruli. ELISPOT analysis confirmed a significant increase in the number of high-affinity anti-DNA antibody-secreting B cells in the spleens of E2 -treated mice. Hybridomas generated from E2 -treated mice express high-affinity, unmutated anti-DNA antibodies, indicating that naïve B cells that are normally deleted or anergized are rescued from tolerance induction. Finally, immunohistochemical studies revealed increased Bcl-2 expression in splenic B cells of E2 -treated mice. These data demonstrate that estrogen interferes with tolerance induction of naïve autoreactive B cells and that the presence of these B cells in the periphery is associated with up-regulation of Bcl-2.