Androgen Regulation of Ocular Mucosal- and Auto-Immunity

At present, it is known that androgens exert a tremendous impact on the development, expression and function of the immune system in both health and disease. In brief, these hormones have been shown to: [a] influence the maturation, proliferation and/or activity of pluripotent stem cells, B cells, T cells and macrophages; [b] modulate the synthesis, secretion and/or action of antibodies, cytokines and growth factors; [c] alter the production of autoantibodies and the formation of immune complexes; [d] affect the immune response to, and clearance of, antigens; [e] control the generation of thymic factors and secretory component (SC), the IgA antibody receptor; and [f] modify the rejection of allografts, the extent of graft vs. host disease, the magnitude of inflammation, and the onset and severity of autoimmune disease.e.g.1–6 The precise nature of these androgen actions is exceedingly dependent upon the specific target cell, the local microenvironment, and the particular immunological process, and may result in enhancement, inhibition, or no effect, on immune expression.3 Nevertheless, it is quite apparent that androgens control multiple aspects of humoral, cell-mediated, mucosal and auto-immunity.