Arthritis Res Ther. 2009;11(5):252. Epub 2009 Oct 26.

Why are women predisposed to autoimmune rheumatic diseases?

Source

University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK. Jacqui.Oliver@manchester.ac.uk

Abstract

The majority of autoimmune diseases predominate in females. In searching for an explanation for this female excess, most attention has focused on hormonal changes--both exogenous changes (for example, oral contraceptive pill) and fluctuations in endogenous hormone levels particularly related to menstruation and pregnancy history. Other reasons include genetic differences, both direct (influence of genes on sex chromosomes) and indirect (such as microchimerism), as well as gender differences in lifestyle factors. These will all be reviewed, focusing on the major autoimmune connective tissue disorders: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma.

PMID:: 19863777; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:: PMC2787267

Free PMC Article

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances

Publication Types

Review

MeSH Terms

Substances

Gonadal Steroid Hormones

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

Autoimmune disease during pregnancy and the microchimerism legacy of pregnancy. [Immunol Invest. 2008]
Autoimmune disease during pregnancy and the microchimerism legacy of pregnancy.
Adams Waldorf KM, Nelson JL. Immunol Invest. 2008; 37(5):631-44.
Review Sex differences in autoimmune disease. [Orthop Clin North Am. 2006]
Review Sex differences in autoimmune disease.
Lockshin MD. Orthop Clin North Am. 2006 Oct; 37(4):629-33.
Review Epigenetic alterations in autoimmune rheumatic diseases. [Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2011]
Review Epigenetic alterations in autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
Ballestar E. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2011 May; 7(5):263-71. Epub 2011 Feb 22.
Review Geoepidemiology of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. [Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2010]
Review Geoepidemiology of autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
Shapira Y, Agmon-Levin N, Shoenfeld Y. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2010 Aug; 6(8):468-76. Epub 2010 Jun 22.
[Women and the mystery of autoimmune diseases]. [Clin Ter. 2002]
[Women and the mystery of autoimmune diseases].
Navazio F. Clin Ter. 2002 Mar-Apr; 153(2):117-8.

See reviews... See all...

Cited by 1 PubMed Central article

Association of gender with clinical expression, quality of life, disability, and depression and anxiety in patients with systemic sclerosis. [PLoS One. 2011]
Association of gender with clinical expression, quality of life, disability, and depression and anxiety in patients with systemic sclerosis.
Nguyen C, Bérezné A, Baubet T, Mestre-Stanislas C, Rannou F, Papelard A, Morell-Dubois S, Revel M, Guillevin L, Poiraudeau S, et al. PLoS One. 2011 Mar 9; 6(3):e17551. Epub 2011 Mar 9.

Related information

Related Citations
Calculated set of PubMed citations closely related to the selected article(s) retrieved using a word weight algorithm. Related articles are displayed in ranked order from most to least relevant, with the “linked from” citation displayed first.
References for this PMC Article
Citation referenced in PubMed article. Only valid for PubMed citations that are also in PMC.
Substance (MeSH Keyword)
PubChem chemical substance (submitted) records that are classified under the same Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) controlled vocabulary as the current articles.
Free in PMC
Free full text articles in PMC
Cited in PMC
Full-text articles in the PubMed Central Database that cite the current articles.

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

Why are women predisposed to autoimmune rheumatic diseases?
Why are women predisposed to autoimmune rheumatic diseases?
Arthritis Res Ther. 2009 ;11(5):252. Epub 2009 Oct 26 .

PubMed
Molecular cloning, sequence, and tissue distribution of the human ubiquitin-acti...
Molecular cloning, sequence, and tissue distribution of the human ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Jan 1 ;88(1):258-62.

PubMed
The impact of ear, nose and throat surgery on children's subsequent use of healt...
The impact of ear, nose and throat surgery on children's subsequent use of health services: An 8-year cohort study.
J Paediatr Child Health. 2009 Dec ;45(12):747-53. Epub 2009 Oct 26 .

PubMed
Epidermal growth factor replaces estrogen in the stimulation of female genital-t...
Epidermal growth factor replaces estrogen in the stimulation of female genital-tract growth and differentiation.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Jan 1 ;88(1):21-5.

PubMed
Food-entrainable circadian oscillators in the brain.
Food-entrainable circadian oscillators in the brain.
Eur J Neurosci. 2009 Nov ;30(9):1650-7. Epub 2009 Oct 26 .

PubMed

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

PubMed

Result Filters

Display Settings:

Send to: