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Background <p>Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), a systemic autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology, disproportionately affects females at a 3:1 ratio compared to males. While biological sex differences in the immune system exist, sex-related differences in inflammatory and immune mediators of RA disease severity are undefined. Our objective was to characterize sex-related differences in immune responses in a murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model and in human RA patients.</p> Methods <p>In CIA compared to saline control mice, inflammatory disease severity was assessed using standardized clinical scores. Anti-collagen antibodies, neutrophil elastase, calprotectin/ S100A8/A9 heterodimer, CRAMP, MMP3, and MMP9 were quantified by ELISA in the sera and joint tissues. Cytokine/chemokine levels in sera and joints were assessed using a Luminex based-44-Plex Discovery Assay<sup>®</sup> Array. Immunophenotyping of mouse splenic T cells analysis was performed by flow cytometry. Proteomic profiling of serum samples from an established RA cohort (72 female and 19 male that were at least 84% ACPA+) was performed using an aptamer-based SomaScan platform.</p> Results <p>We identified distinct sex-related differences in disease severity and pro-inflammatory profiles in the sera and joint tissues of CIA mice, with inflammatory responses that were male-skewed in the sera and female-skewed in the joints. Furthermore, we demonstrated heightened neutrophil activation markers and CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell-mediated inflammatory responses in female CIA mice. Similar sex-related differences in neutrophil activation and leucocyte migration were identified in RA patients.</p> Conclusions <p>Our study demonstrates novel sex differences in pro-inflammatory mediators and activities of neutrophils and CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells associated with disease severity in CIA mice, and in human RA patients. These findings provide new insights into sex-related differences in immunological pathways associated with inflammatory arthritis, which may contribute to the sex disparity in RA pathogenesis.</p>

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Sex differences in disease severity and immune responses in murine and human inflammatory arthritis

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月7日

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  • Mahadevappa Hemshekhar,
  • Liam J O’Neil,
  • Nyambura Kahia,
  • Courtney L. Marshall,
  • Tamarah Singh,
  • Mario Navarrete,
  • Hani El-Gabalawy,
  • Neeloffer Mookherjee,
  • Janilyn Arsenio

摘要

Background

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), a systemic autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology, disproportionately affects females at a 3:1 ratio compared to males. While biological sex differences in the immune system exist, sex-related differences in inflammatory and immune mediators of RA disease severity are undefined. Our objective was to characterize sex-related differences in immune responses in a murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model and in human RA patients.

Methods

In CIA compared to saline control mice, inflammatory disease severity was assessed using standardized clinical scores. Anti-collagen antibodies, neutrophil elastase, calprotectin/ S100A8/A9 heterodimer, CRAMP, MMP3, and MMP9 were quantified by ELISA in the sera and joint tissues. Cytokine/chemokine levels in sera and joints were assessed using a Luminex based-44-Plex Discovery Assay® Array. Immunophenotyping of mouse splenic T cells analysis was performed by flow cytometry. Proteomic profiling of serum samples from an established RA cohort (72 female and 19 male that were at least 84% ACPA+) was performed using an aptamer-based SomaScan platform.

Results

We identified distinct sex-related differences in disease severity and pro-inflammatory profiles in the sera and joint tissues of CIA mice, with inflammatory responses that were male-skewed in the sera and female-skewed in the joints. Furthermore, we demonstrated heightened neutrophil activation markers and CD4+ T cell-mediated inflammatory responses in female CIA mice. Similar sex-related differences in neutrophil activation and leucocyte migration were identified in RA patients.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates novel sex differences in pro-inflammatory mediators and activities of neutrophils and CD4+ T cells associated with disease severity in CIA mice, and in human RA patients. These findings provide new insights into sex-related differences in immunological pathways associated with inflammatory arthritis, which may contribute to the sex disparity in RA pathogenesis.