Differential estrogen receptor gene expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell populations

Estrogens have been shown to modulate immune responses. Several studies have demonstrated the capacity of T cells, B cells, and monocytes to respond to estrogens and estrogen receptor (ER) expression in these cell types has been reported. However, little is known regarding the relative expression in these cells of ERα and the more recently identified ERβ. In the present study, results of quantitative TaqMan™ RT-PCR analyses indicate that ERs are differentially expressed in PBMC subsets. CD4+ T cells express relatively high levels of ERα mRNA compared with ERβ, whereas B cells express high levels of ERβ mRNA but low levels of ERα. Peripheral blood CD8+ T cells and monocytes express low but comparable levels of both ERs. This quantitative analysis of ER expression in distinct PBMC subsets may provide a basis for dissecting the mechanisms of immune modulation by estrogens and identifying therapeutic targets for the treatment of inflammatory and immunologic disorders.