Steroid hormones may modulate the chemiluminescence emission produced by polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Steroid hormones, testosterone and estrone may modify the in vitro chemiluminescence (CL) produced by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) during phagocytosis. These changes (increases or decreases) depended on the age and health condition of the donor, but not on sex. Generally, these steroid hormones increase the PMNL CL emission at concentrations lower than 10(-5) M, but decrease it at higher levels. In an acellular system, using the same CL technique, these hormones exhibit an opposite effect, by increasing the emission at higher concentrations. As the PMNL induced CL emission is a membrane-dependent process, strongly related to phagocytosis, the action of steroid hormones seems to be due to the receptors on the surface of leukocytes. In both systems, cellular and acellular, the effect of steroid hormones on the CL emission also depends on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide added or released during phagocytosis. The modulatory action of steroid hormones on phagocytosis may occur in certain conditions, such as infections diseases and hormone disturbances in the course of which there occurs a significant release of oxygen free radicals, concomitantly with variations of the levels of steroid hormones.