ABSTRACT
Among its many functions, prolactin (PRL) participates in immune responses and promotes the activation, differentiation and proliferation of T cells. However, the mechanisms by which PRL regulates regulatory T (T(reg)) cells are still unknown. Our goal was to determine whether PRL plays a role in T(reg) function. We measured the expression of PRL and its receptor in T(reg) and effector T (T(eff)) cells from 15 healthy individuals. We also evaluated the functional activity of T(reg) cells by examining proliferation and cytokine secretion in cells activated with anti-CD3/CD28 in the presence or absence of PRL. We report that T(reg) cells constitutively expressed PRL receptor, whereas T(eff) cells required stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28 to induce PRL receptor expression. Expression of PRL was constitutive in both populations. We found that the addition of PRL inhibited the suppressor effect (proliferation) mediated by T(reg) cells in vitro, reducing suppression from 37.4 to 13% when PRL was added to co-cultures of T(reg) and T(eff) cells (P<0.05). Cultures treated with PRL favoured a Th1 cytokine profile, with increased production of TNF and IFNγ. We report for the first time that PRL receptor expression was constitutive in T(reg) cells but not in T(eff) cells, which require stimulation to induce PRL receptor expression. PRL inhibited the suppressive function of T(reg) cells, apparently through the induced secretion of Th1 cytokines.
Subject(s)
Down-Regulation/drug effects , Prolactin/pharmacology , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/drug effects , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology , Adult , CD4 Antigens/metabolism , Cell Separation/methods , Cells, Cultured , Cytokines/metabolism , Female , Humans , Immunophenotyping , Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit/metabolism , Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit/metabolism , Middle Aged , RNA, Messenger/genetics , Receptors, Prolactin/genetics , Receptors, Prolactin/metabolism , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolismABSTRACT
The allergic condition is determined genetically and they affect of the general population's 20-30% in developed countries, in the last decade have been increased the prevalence. Inside the imbalance that is manifested in the atopic patients it is on one hand the antigen-presenting cells (monocytes and B cells) and on the other hand, the lymphocytes T CD4+. The association of molecules like CD80, CD 86 (co-stimulatory molecules) in monocytes and B cells and CD30, CD62L, ALL, CD11a, CD28, CD124 and CD152 in CD4+, they have shown to be of particular interest in allergic sufferings. However we don't find a difference statistically significant among patient and controls and among nasal challenges with saline solution with specific allergen. For what we suggest that the changes in the activation, proliferation and cooperation are given in the les ion place, without an apparent repercussion in cells of peripheral blood.
