Genetic and hormonal factors in female-biased autoimmunity.
Autoimmunity is controlled both by the environment and by genetic factors. One of the most well defined genetic factors is polymorphisms, with some alleles of particular genes promoting autoimmune diseases, whereas other alleles either not affecting susceptibility to disease or, in some cases actually inhibiting the appearance of such illnesses. Another genetically controlled factor, gender, also plays a profound role in the incidence of autoimmune diseases. For example, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) occurs much more frequently in females than in males in both mice and man. The genetic differences that make some individuals susceptible to autoimmunity and protect others could act in many ways and affect many tissues. In this review we will discuss how gender may act on the cells of the immune system and thereby influence the predisposition of the host to autoimmune diseases.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Immunology, National Jewish Health and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, 80206, USA. rubtsova@njhealth.org
Anatoly V
AV
Rubtsov
Kira
K
Rubtsova
John W
JW
Kappler
Philippa
P
Marrack
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones