Sex-influenced response in the pathogenesis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in mice.
Male B10 X 129 (10M) ScSn mice were relatively resistant to cutaneous leishmaniasis, while females frequently developed non-healing expanding ulcers, leading to loss of infected extremities, metastasis to distal skin sites, and in some animals, death. Anti-leishmanial antibody titers were higher, and delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to parasite antigens, lower, in infected females than in males. Sex differences in response to cutaneous infection were not marked in BALB/cJ mice, a highly susceptible strain, and both males and females ultimately lost infected extremities, developed metastases, and died.
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000276:immunology*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D012737:Sex Factors
D000906:Antibodies; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan