NEONATAL TREATMENT WITH LUTEINIZING-HORMONE-RELEASING HORMONE ANALOGSALTERS PERIPHERAL LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS AND CELLULAR AND HUMORALLY MEDIATED IMMUNE-RESPONSES IN JUVENILE AND ADULT MALE MONKEYS

We examined the effect of treatment with a LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist (Ag), antagonist (Ant), or Ant and androgen (Ant/And) for the first 4 months of postnatal life on lymphocyte subsets and cellular a nd humorally mediated immune responses in juvenile and adult male monk eys. We also determined the effect of 9 weeks of Ant treatment on lymp hocyte subsets in adult male monkeys. Adult male monkeys that had been treated neonatally with an Ag had increased levels of CD8-positive (C D8(+)) T-cells and reduced levels of B-cells compared to vehicle-treat ed controls. Lymphocytes from these animals also showed an elevated pr oliferative response to a variety of mitogens compared to cells from c ontrol animals. Antibody production in response to tetanus toroid was normal in treated animals. Other neonates treated with Ant/And exhibit ed subnormal levels of lymphocytes, CD8(+) T-cells, and B-cells at 4 m onths of age. Similar changes, but of lesser magnitude, were observed in animals treated with Ant alone. At 6 months of age, lymphocytes fro m both groups of Ant-treated monkeys exhibited an above normal prolife rative response to streptolysin-0, but not to other mitogens. At 18 mo nths of age, animals treated with Ant alone produced more antitetanus antibody in response to a tetanus toroid booster than the controls or Ant/And-treated animals. Ant treatment was without major effect on lym phocyte subsets in adult monkeys. Serum LH and testosterone levels dec lined, and there was a small but significant increase in B-cells, lymp hocytes expressing the interleukin-2 receptor, and the CD4(+)/CD8(+) T -cell ratio during treatment, but these parameters normalized during t he posttreatment period. The data suggest that chronic neonatal treatm ent with an Ag or Ant alters the development of immune system response s in male primates. The significance of these changes and their impact on the ability of these animals to respond to pathogenic agents is un der investigation.