Changes in Proinflammatory Cytokine Activity after Menopause
Johannes Pfeilschifter,
Roland Köditz,
Martin Pfohl and
Helmut Schatz
Department of Internal Medicine, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Kliniken Bergmannsheil, University of Bochum, D-44789 Bochum, Germany
Correspondence: Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Johannes Pfeilschifter, M.D., Berufsgenossenschaftliche Kliniken Bergmannsheil, University of Bochum, Department of Internal Medicine, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, D-44789 Bochum, Germany. E-mail: Johannes.Pfeilschifter{at}ruhr-uni-bochum.de
There is now a large body of evidence suggesting that the declinein ovarian function with menopause is associated with spontaneousincreases in proinflammatory cytokines. The cytokines that haveobtained the most attention are IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-. The exactmechanisms by which estrogen interferes with cytokine activityare still incompletely known but may potentially include interactionsof the ER with other transcription factors, modulation of nitricoxide activity, antioxidative effects, plasma membrane actions,and changes in immune cell function. Experimental and clinicalstudies strongly support a link between the increased stateof proinflammatory cytokine activity and postmenopausal boneloss. Preliminary evidence suggests that these changes alsomight be relevant to vascular homeostasis and the developmentof atherosclerosis. Better knowledge of the mechanisms and thetime course of these interactions may open new avenues for theprevention and treatment of some of the most prevalent and importantdisorders in postmenopausal women.
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. The exact mechanisms by which estrogen interferes with cytokine activity are still incompletely known but may potentially include interactions of the ER with other transcription factors, modulation of nitric oxide activity, antioxidative effects, plasma membrane actions, and changes in immune cell function. Experimental and clinical studies strongly support a link between the increased state of proinflammatory cytokine activity and postmenopausal bone loss. Preliminary evidence suggests that these changes also might be relevant to vascular homeostasis and the development of atherosclerosis. Better knowledge of the mechanisms and the time course of these interactions may open new avenues for the prevention and treatment of some of the most prevalent and important disorders in postmenopausal women. 
