Sex ratio and rheumatic disease.
Some thyroid, rheumatic and hepatic diseases consistently have high female:male ratios, but many autoimmune diseases do not. Gonadal hormones, if they play a role in determining sex ratios, likely do so through a threshold or permissive mechanism. Sex differences related to X-inactivation, imprinting, X or Y chromosome genetic modulators, and intrauterine influences, exposures, vulnerable periods, or thresholds are alternative, theoretical, explanations for sex differences of incidence.
Lockshin
Michael D
MD
Barbara Volcker Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College, Cornell University, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA. lockshinm@hss.edu
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012744:Sex Ratio