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Mini-Review: Gut-Microbiota and the Sex-Bias in Autoimmunity - Lessons Learnt From Animal Models
Elizabeth C Rosser1,2, Nina M de Gruijter1,2, Diana E Matei3
1Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at University College London (UCL), University College London Hospital (UCLH) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), London, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
It is well appreciated that there is a female preponderance in the development of most autoimmune diseases. Thought to be due to a complex interplay between sex chromosome complement and sex-hormones, however, the exact mechanisms underlying this sex-bias remain unknown. In recent years, there has been a focus on understanding the central pathogenic role of the bacteria that live in the gut, or the gut-microbiota, in the development of autoimmunity. In this review, we discuss evidence from animal models demonstrating that the gut-microbiota is sexually dimorphic, that there is a bidirectional relationship between the production of sex-hormones and the gut-microbiota, and that this sexual dimorphism within the gut-microbiota may influence the sex-bias observed in autoimmune disease development. Collectively, these data underline the importance of considering sex as a variable when investigating biological pathways that contribute to autoimmune disease risk.
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