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How does sex impact autoimmunity? 


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Sex impacts autoimmunity through a combination of genetic, epigenetic, hormonal, and immunological factors . Females are more susceptible to autoimmune diseases, and this sex bias is influenced by sex hormones and sex chromosomes . Puberty is a critical period when sex hormone levels and metabolism undergo significant changes, potentially contributing to the sex differences in autoimmunity . Women generally exhibit a stronger pro-inflammatory response, while men display expanded regulatory cell subsets . Sex chromosome dosage, specifically having two X chromosomes, increases susceptibility to systemic autoimmunity in humans . Additionally, sex hormones and the composition of the gut microbiome interact to modulate the immune response, further contributing to the observed gender differences in autoimmunity . Understanding the impact of sex on autoimmunity can lead to more sex-specific treatment strategies for autoimmune diseases .

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Open accessJournal ArticleDOI
Katherine Dodd, Madhvi Menon 
9 Citations
Sex impacts autoimmunity through sex-dependent differences in the immune system, influenced by sex hormones, sex chromosomes, sociological factors, diet, and gut microbiota. Women show increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases due to a stronger pro-inflammatory response, while men display expanded regulatory cell subsets. Ageing also affects autoimmune disease susceptibility differently in men and women.
The paper discusses the role of sex hormones in regulating immune response and suggests that puberty, with its drastic changes in sex hormone levels, may be a factor in the sex bias towards autoimmunity. However, it does not provide a direct answer to how sex impacts autoimmunity.
The paper explains that sex impacts autoimmunity through a combination of genetic, epigenetic, and hormonal factors. It mentions that females predominate with most autoimmune diseases, but does not provide further details on how exactly sex influences autoimmunity.
Sex chromosome dosage, rather than the gonadal sex itself, contributes to sex bias in autoimmunity. Humans with two X chromosomes exhibit increased susceptibility to systemic autoimmunity regardless of their gonadal sex.
Book ChapterDOI
Arun Kumar Kedia, Vinod Ravindran 
01 Jan 2020
1 Citations
Sex impacts autoimmunity through the sexual dimorphism of the immune response, the immunomodulatory function of sex hormones, and the reciprocal influence of sex hormones and microbiome composition.

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