Gender differences in T cell cytokine secretion and the adoptive transfer of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE)

We used the adoptive transfer model of EAE to elucidate the role of gender on the induction and effector phases of disease. Proteolipid protein peptide 139-151 (PLP 139-151) sensitized spleen cells from female SJL mice were more effective at transferring disease than male cells. However there were no gender differences in the frequency of PLP 139-151 specific T cells. PLP 139-151 specific T cell lines induced more severe disease than male T cell lines. Disease severity was more strongly linked to the sex of the donor T cells, indicating that gender influences the immune response primarily during the induction phase. Female T cell lines secreted significantly more IFN-γ and less IL-10 than male cells, suggesting that differences in the severity of clinical disease are related, at least in part, to differences in cytokine production.