Grossman C J, Roselle G A, Mendenhall C L
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centre, Research Service, Cincinnati, OH 45220.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1991;40(4-6):649-59. doi: 10.1016/0960-0760(91)90287-f.
The immune response of males and females is not identical but instead has been shown to be dimorphic in its nature, with females generally demonstrating a greater overall response than males. This dimorphism extends to both the humoral and cell mediated systems and appears to be mechanistically based on the differences in type and concentration of sex steroids in males vs females. Furthermore, growth hormone and prolactin secretions which are different in males and females may also be partly responsible for the observed dimorphism. Because autoimmune disease results from a pathological perturbation of normal immune function, it follows that expression of these diseases will also demonstrate a dimorphic pattern. Examples of this autoimmune dimorphism include (but are not limited to) lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis with the two former more prevalent in females than males and the latter more severe during pregnancy. To explain autoimmune dimorphism it therefore becomes necessary firstly to describe the cellular and hormonal interactions found in normal immune regulation and thereafter extrapolate these to autoimmune phenomena.
男性和女性的免疫反应并不相同，而是在本质上表现出二态性，女性通常比男性表现出更强的整体反应。这种二态性延伸到体液和细胞介导系统，其机制似乎基于男性和女性性激素类型和浓度的差异。此外，男性和女性不同的生长激素和催乳素分泌也可能部分导致了观察到的二态性。由于自身免疫性疾病是由正常免疫功能的病理扰动引起的，因此这些疾病的表现也将呈现二态性模式。这种自身免疫二态性的例子包括（但不限于）狼疮、类风湿性关节炎和多发性硬化症，前两者在女性中比男性更普遍，后者在怀孕期间更严重。因此，为了解释自身免疫二态性，首先有必要描述正常免疫调节中发现的细胞和激素相互作用，然后将这些相互作用外推到自身免疫现象。
