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. This evidence concerns the gene IL2 and arthritic joint disease.