The supernatants from E2-treated animals showed reduced levels of IL-17 (-51%, P <0.01), IL-2 (-27%, P <0.05), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) (-23%, P <0.05), and IL-6 (-28%, P <0.05) versus placebo treatment, whereas levels of IL-4, TNFα, and GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor) were unchanged (Table 1), demonstrating that E2 treatment results in an altered systemic cytokine profile which may be important in the amelioration of arthritis. Here, TNF is linked to arthritic joint disease.