%A A V Shaji %A S K Kulkarni %A J N Agrewala %O copyright of this article belongs Blackwell/Oxford %J Clinical and experimental immunology %T Regulation of secretion of IL-4 and IgG1 isotype by melatonin-stimulated ovalbumin-specific T cells. %X In the present study, we describe the potential role of melatonin, a pineal hormone, in regulating the activation of the antigen-specific T cell response. Melatonin encouraged the proliferation of Th cells and improved their ability to secrete IL-4, but down-regulated the levels of IL-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Melatonin, however, could not exert any influence on the T cells of unprimed mice. On studying the regulation of subclass of IgG isotype, melatonin specifically enhanced the secretion of antigen-specific IgG1 antibodies and decreased the yield of IgG2a isotype. The results suggest that melatonin possibly acts by selectively activating a Th2-like immune response. %N 1 %K melatonin;T cell;IL-4 and IgG1 %P 181-5 %V 111 %D 1998 %I Blackwell Science / Oxford %L open361