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Review
. 2023 Oct;52(9):795-802.
doi: 10.1111/jop.13466. Epub 2023 Jul 14.

Mechanisms underlying sex bias in oral immune-mediated conditions, an insight

Mohammad S Alrashdan  1   2 , Natheer H Al-Rawi  1 , Yazan Hassona  3 , Sausan Al Kawas  1 , Nicola Cirillo  4
Affiliations
Review

Mechanisms underlying sex bias in oral immune-mediated conditions, an insight

Mohammad S Alrashdan et al. J Oral Pathol Med. 2023 Oct.

Abstract

The predilection for women in systemic autoimmune diseases is well established. However, this sex bias in oral autoimmune diseases has been classically reported from an epidemiological perspective without any elaborate attempts to unveil the underlying mechanisms. The unique nature of the oral environment is likely to impose a combination of systemic and local factors that ultimately result in the sex bias in autoimmune diseases of the oral cavity. Variations of immune responses, target organ vulnerability, endocrine and genetic factors, sex chromosomes and modes of parental inheritance are potential systemic factors, while the oral microbiome, oral tolerance, saliva, and oral epithelial stem cells may account for local contributing factors. This review will discuss the preponderance of women in oral immune-mediated diseases, the potential systemic and local mechanisms underlying this predominance and highlight the crucial need for further research in this area.

Keywords: immune-mediated; oral; sex bias; women.

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References

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