Androgenic Hormones Modulate Autoantibody Responses and Improve Survival in Murine Lupus

TLDR: The results suggest that sex hormones modulate immunologic regulation and that androgenic hormones are protective in murine lupus.

Abstract: Evidence that andogenic hormones modulate autoantibody responses and improve survival in murine lupus is reported. Hybrid mice were either castrated or subjected to sham surgery at 2 weeks of age and studied for immunoglobulin class of antibodies to nucleic acids at 4 6 and 7 months postsurgery. Prepubertal male castation caused premature death in 60% of the mice. Castrated males had a marked decline in serum testosterone concentration. An increase in deoxyribonucleic acid and polyadenylic A (Poly A) binding and an accelerated switch from 19S to 7S antibodies to nucleic acids. Castrated females revealed no change in mortality however castrated females given maintained androgen treatment had a decreased mortality compared with castrasted females receiving estrogens (14 vs. 94%). The anticipated switch to 7S antibodies to Poly A was nearly eliminated in castrated females. These data suggest that sex hormones modulate immunologic regulation and that androgenic hormones are protective in murine lupus.