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

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Abstract
Male B10 .cntdot. 129 (10M) ScSn mice were relatively resistant to cutaneous leishmanisis, 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 antigen, 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.