It Became Known Why Women Are More Likely To Have Lupus, And Men - From Schizophrenia

It became known why women are more likely to have lupus, and men - from schizophrenia

Scientists explained the difference in incidence by the peculiarities of the work of an important gene in both sexes. Research published in Nature. It can provide important answers to questions about promising therapies.

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Almost everyone knows that men are more likely to get sick with some diseases, and women with others. In some cases, these differences can be explained, but often the reasons remain unknown.

In a new study, published in Nature, scientists have at least partially explained why women are more likely to have systemic lupus erythematosus and men who have schizophrenia. The point is the activity of certain genes associated with sex.

The researchers focused on the C4 gene, which encodes a protein called complement component 4, used by the body to “mark” unwanted or dead cells that the immune system must destroy.

It was previously known that some variants of the C4 gene are associated with the risk of developing schizophrenia, but protect against connective tissue damage, such as lupus and Sjogren's syndrome.

“The C4 gene variants are yin and yang with increased and decreased vulnerability of various organ systems,” says Steven McCarroll, a Harvard Medical School professor and co-author of the study.

According to the new data, people with the most copies of the C4 gene are 16 times more likely to have Sjögren's disease and seven times more risk of lupus compared with those with the lowest C4 gene. On the other hand, the risk of schizophrenia was 1.6 times lower in those who carried the most C4 genes.

Further, the scientists found that even with similar "genetic profiles", the activity of the C4 genes in men and women can be very different. The expression of these genes was usually much higher in men, that is, they synthesized more of the complement component 4.

Scientists have found that C4 gene activity - different between men and women - may help explain why men are more likely to get schizophrenia and women are more likely to get Sjogren's disease and lupus.

The study authors point out that this work does not provide definitive answers. For example, it is not known why the C4 genes work differently in men and women.

Scientists believe that the findings of this study are very important for future development and research of new therapies: they will need to emphasize gender and the complement system.