SEX-DIFFERENCES IN THE REGULATION OF EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED AUTOANTIBODIES IN (NZB X NZW)F1 MICE

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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (4) , 819-823
Abstract
The ability to induce autoantibodies to erythrocytes in male and female (NZB .times. NZW)F1 mice was examined. Female (NZB .times. NZW)F1 mice produced significantly more autoantibody than the male (NZB .times. NZW)F1 mice. The regulation of this experimentally induced autoantibody was studied by examining the ability of male and female (NZB .times. NZW)F1 mice to generate antigen-specific suppressor cells. A sex difference was found in the ability to generate these suppressor cells. Male mice generated antigen-specific suppressor cells in response to rat red blood cells, which were capable of suppressing the experimental induction of red cell autoantibodies, whereas female mice were unable to generate these antigen-specific suppressor cells.