Sex-influenced response in the pathogenesis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in mice

Male B10 X 129 (10M) ScSn mice were relatively resistant to cutaneous leishmaniasis, while females frequently developed non-healing expanding ulcers, leading to loss of infected extremities, metastasis to distal skin sites, and in some animals, death. Anti-leishmanial antibody titers were higher, and delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to parasite antigens, lower, in infected females than in males. Sex differences in response to cutaneous infection were not marked in BALB/cJ mice, a highly susceptible strain, and both males and females ultimately lost infected extremities, developed metastases, and died.