Table 1.
Effect of steroid hormones on innate and adaptive immunity.
| Immune target | Glucocorticoids | Estrogens | Androgens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macrophages | High dose, activity ↓ (67, 76) Apoptosis ↓↑ (66, 67) Inflamm cytokines ↓ (76) |
Inflamm cytokines↓ (94, 95) | Inflamm cytokines ↓ (5) |
| DC | Apoptosis ↑ (76) Maturation ↓ (100) Inflamm cytokines↓ (101–103) IL-10, TGF-β ↑ (101–103) |
Maturation ↑ (107) Inflamm cytokines↑↓ (104–107) IL-10, TGF-β ↑ (109–112) |
ND |
| Neutrophils | Number ↓ (72, 73) Trafficking ↓ (80–82) Apoptosis ↑ (72, 73) |
Number ↑ (74, 75) Trafficking ↓ (83–88) Activation ↓ (92, 93) Inflamm cytokines↑↓ (96–99) |
Number ↑ (62) Trafficking ↑ (62) Inflamm cytokines↑ |
| Thymocytes | Apoptosis ↑ (38, 39, 113–116) Proliferation ↓ (13) |
Proliferation ↓ (123–126) | Proliferation ↓(127, 128) |
| Th1 cells | Apoptosis ↑ (130) Th1 cytokines ↓ (131–133) |
Activation ↓ Th1 cytokines ↑ (149–153) High levels ↓ (155–157) |
Activation ↓ Th1 cytokines ↓ (60) |
| Th2 cells | Apoptosis ↑↓ Th2 cytokines ↑ |
Th2 cytokines↑ (155–158) | Activation ↓ Th2 cytokines ↓↑ (5, 60) |
| Th17 cells | Apoptosis ↑↓ (135) Th17 cytokines ↓ (134) |
Number ↓ (161) Th17 cytokines ↑↓ (159–161) |
Number ↓ Th17 cytokines ↑ (5) |
| Treg cells | Number ↑ (136–140) Function ↑ (101, 141–143) |
Number ↑ (162–166) | Number ↑ (5) |
| B cells | Apoptosis ↑ (167, 168) Number ↓ Ig ↓↑ (171–173) |
Apoptosis↓ (175–177) Ig ↑ (5) |
Number ↓ (5, 62) Ig ↓ (5) |
| ILCs | ILC2 ↓ (180) | Uterine ILC2 ↑ (179) | Lung ILC2 ↓ (181) |
DC, dendritic cells; Th, T helper cells; Treg, regulatory T cells; ILC, innate lymphoid cells; ND, not determined; Ig, immunoglobulins.