Studies of the effects of sex hormones on autosomal and X-linked genetic control of induced and spontaneous antibody production.

In these studies we investigated the modifying effect of sex hormones on both the levels of induced antibodies after immunization with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and the levels of spontaneously produced anti-T cell antibodies (NTA). To learn whether the responses were genetically determined or under hormonal regulation, we analyzed hybrids produced by crossing the autoimmune NZB strain with the nonautoimmune DBA/2 strain. For both anti-ssDNA and NTA, males usually had a lower response than females; this difference could largely be removed by castration of the males. Females given testosterone implants also had decreased antibody levels. The higher responses in females and suppression by testosterone were true for all mice studied except NZB mice. NZB mice appear to have an insensitivity to the suppressive effects of testosterone.