Autoimmune diseases include more than 70 different conditions affecting 5-8% of the population of developed countries; they are a major health problem and can greatly impair the quality of life of affected subjects. Autoimmune responses are the result of a multifactorial interaction between environmentand and genetic backgrounds; however the mechanisms involved in the loss of tolerance to self remain unknown. The majority of these conditions show a strong predominance in the female sex. The human immune system exhibits sexual dimorphism with basic immune responses differing between the sexes. Candidate factors to explain these differences include sex hormones, fetal microchimerism, sex chromosomal abnormalities, and skewed X chromosome inactivation; all have been suggested as novel players. Studying the distribution of these conditions across various global regions and ethnic groups by means of geoepidemio might readily provide epidemiological data and also advance our understanding of their pathogenesis. The aim of this chapter is to review the current knowledge of geoepidemiological aspects related to the study of autoimmune conditions and its female prevalence.
Geoepidemiology and the impact of sex on Autoimmune diseases
Lleo A.
2017-01-01
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases include more than 70 different conditions affecting 5-8% of the population of developed countries; they are a major health problem and can greatly impair the quality of life of affected subjects. Autoimmune responses are the result of a multifactorial interaction between environmentand and genetic backgrounds; however the mechanisms involved in the loss of tolerance to self remain unknown. The majority of these conditions show a strong predominance in the female sex. The human immune system exhibits sexual dimorphism with basic immune responses differing between the sexes. Candidate factors to explain these differences include sex hormones, fetal microchimerism, sex chromosomal abnormalities, and skewed X chromosome inactivation; all have been suggested as novel players. Studying the distribution of these conditions across various global regions and ethnic groups by means of geoepidemio might readily provide epidemiological data and also advance our understanding of their pathogenesis. The aim of this chapter is to review the current knowledge of geoepidemiological aspects related to the study of autoimmune conditions and its female prevalence.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
