Effects of 17 beta-oestradiol on function of lymphocytes from normal donors and patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).

Effects of oestradiol (E2) have been studied on the in vitro T cell-dependent differentiation of B cells from peripheral blood and spleen using normal donors and patients with the antibody deficiency disease CVID. We also studied whether it modifies T cell DNA synthesis. The effect of E2 was examined on cultures of B cells with T cells for IL-2-driven immunoglobulin secretion or of T cells for phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-driven DNA synthesis. Interestingly, in control experiments without E2, the normal sex difference in immunoglobulin production is reversed in CVID. The data show that for normal individuals there is no major difference between male and female donors in the in vitro actions of E2 on blood B and T lymphocytes. With normal blood B cells, E2 failed to affect IgM production, but it did inhibit IgG. In normal splenic cells, E2 increased both IgM and IgG secretion in a similar way to the tonsillar cell data previously reported. E2 on normal blood T cell DNA synthesis was stimulatory. With blood cells from CVID patients an interesting contrast was seen. As with normal B cells, E2 had no effect on IgM secretion by those CVID blood B cells able to secrete IgM. However, a difference between patients and normals was that E2 did not inhibit the IL-2-driven IgG production by those CVID B cells able to secrete IgG. For T cell function, the stimulatory effect of E2 on CVID T cell DNA was as in normal T cells. However, E2 failed to restore CVID B and T cell function to normal levels. These data suggest that there may be subtle defects in the pathway of action of E2 in CVID lymphocytes.