THE EFFECT OF ANTIESTROGENS ON CYTOKINE PRODUCTION IN-VITRO

Oestrogens can regulate immune functions, and due to this females have more effective immune responses than males. Oestrogens and anti-oestr ogens enhance T-cell-dependent antibody production of B cells in vitro . The cytokine mediators which are behind oestrogen and anti-oestrogen induced effects are not yet known. The authors studied whether anti-o estrogens (tamoxifen and toremifene) can regulate PMA-induced cytokine production of B-, T- or myeloid cell lines. Anti-oestrogens, tamoxife n and toremifene, stimulated overall cytokine production on a B-cell l ine (Ball), whereas on a T-cell line (Molt-4) tamoxifen stimulated IL- 1 beta, IL-6 and IFN-gamma production and toremifene inhibited it. Ant i-oestrogens did not have any significant effect on cytokine productio n of myeloid cells.