A role for sex chromosome complement in the female bias in autoimmune disease

DL Smith-Bouvier, AA Divekar, M Sasidhar… - The Journal of …, 2008 - rupress.org
DL Smith-Bouvier, AA Divekar, M Sasidhar, S Du, SK Tiwari-Woodruff, JK King, AP Arnold
The Journal of experimental medicine, 2008rupress.org
Most autoimmune diseases are more common in women than in men. This may be caused
by differences in sex hormones, sex chromosomes, or both. In this study, we determined if
there was a contribution of sex chromosomes to sex differences in susceptibility to two
immunologically distinct disease models, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
(EAE) and pristane-induced lupus. Transgenic SJL mice were created to permit a
comparison between XX and XY within a common gonadal type. Mice of the XX sex …
Most autoimmune diseases are more common in women than in men. This may be caused by differences in sex hormones, sex chromosomes, or both. In this study, we determined if there was a contribution of sex chromosomes to sex differences in susceptibility to two immunologically distinct disease models, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and pristane-induced lupus. Transgenic SJL mice were created to permit a comparison between XX and XY within a common gonadal type. Mice of the XX sex chromosome complement, as compared with XY, demonstrated greater susceptibility to both EAE and lupus. This is the first evidence that the XX sex chromosome complement, as compared with XY, confers greater susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
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