Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues.
The X chromosome may contribute to this disparity.
Women account for about 80% of autoimmune disease cases worldwide.
Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues. These diseases can be caused by genetic, environmental, or lifestyle factors. Women account for about 80% of autoimmune disease cases worldwide. The X chromosome is one factor that may contribute to this disparity.
Xist is responsible for triggering the chemical response that leads to autoimmune diseases
Treatments for autoimmune diseases are limited and many have no cure
`Maybe that's a better strategya for new treatments, said Dr. Howard Chang, a geneticist and dermatologist at Stanford who led the new study
Accuracy
Females carry two Xs while males carry an X and a Y chromosome which leads to development of male sex organs
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in that it presents a false premise. The author claims that women account for about 80 percent of autoimmune disease patients and then proceeds to discuss the role played by Xist in these diseases. However, this does not explain why men get these diseases or why some autoimmune diseases have a higher incidence among men.
The article claims that women account for about 80 percent of autoimmune disease patients but fails to provide any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The authors demonstrate bias by disproportionately quoting sources that support their assertions about the role of Xist in autoimmune diseases and its link to women. The authors also use language that depicts those who disagree with their position as extreme or unreasonable.
`Clearly there's got to be more, because one-tenth of lupus patients are men,`
`The sky’s the limit here`, said Sparks, who was not involved in the study,
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Mark Johnson and Sabrina Malhi have conflicts of interest on the topics of autoimmune diseases, Xist molecule, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. They are affiliated with Stanford University which is a member of the Autoimmune Association.
Mark Johnson has been involved in research funded by pharmaceutical companies that develop treatments for autoimmune diseases.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Mark Johnson and Sabrina Malhi have conflicts of interest on the topics of autoimmune diseases, Xist molecule, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. They are affiliated with Stanford University which is a research center for these topics.
A study published in the journal Cell suggests that a special set of molecules that act on the extra X chromosome carried by women can sometimes confuse the immune system
`Maybe that's a better strategy` for new treatments, said Dr. Howard Chang, a geneticist and dermatologist at Stanford who led the new study
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that women are much more likely than men to have their immune system turn against them and result in autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis. However, this statement is not supported by any scientific evidence presented in the article.
The statement 'A study published on Thursday offers an explanation rooted in the X chromosome.' is misleading because the article does not provide enough information to support this claim.
The sentence 'Women are much more likely than men to have their immune system turn against them' is a lie of omission as it implies that women are at higher risk for autoimmune diseases without providing any supporting data.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing a study published in the journal Cell without providing any evidence or context for the research. Additionally, there is no clear dichotomous depiction of women and men with autoimmune diseases as stated in the first sentence.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses the phrase 'X chromosome' to refer specifically to a female X chromosome, implying that there is no such thing as a male X chromosome which could be contributing to autoimmune diseases in men.
Each of the two X chromosomes is silenced. Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
The molecules that silence a woman’s second X chromosome can confuse the immune system
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Carl Zimmer has a financial tie to Dr. Howard Chang who is mentioned in the article as being involved in research on autoimmune diseases and X chromosome.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Carl Zimmer has a conflict of interest on the topic of autoimmune diseases as he is reporting on research conducted by Dr. Howard Chang who is his friend and colleague.
Protein-RNA complexes on the X chromosome contribute to the female bias in prevalence of autoimmune disease.
XIST, a molecule involved in X-chromosome inactivation, initiates inflammatory immune responses.
Male mice engineered to produce a form of XIST that did not silence gene expression but did form the characteristic RNA-protein complexes showed higher autoantibody levels and more extensive tissue damage than those that didn't express XIST.
The same autoantibodies were also identified in blood samples from people with lupus, scleroderma and dermatomyositis.
Treatments for autoimmune diseases are limited and many have no cure
Accuracy
The discovery that proteins central to X-chromosome inactivation can themselves set off immunological alarm bells adds yet another layer of complexity and could point to new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing a study published in Cell. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the consequences of autoimmune diseases on people's lives. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of women being more susceptible to autoimmune disease than men due to their X chromosome makeup.
The study was published today in Cell
Women account for around 80% of all cases of autoimmune disease, a category that includes conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses the prevalence of autoimmune disease in women and how it is more common than in men. The author suggests that a molecular coating on half of a woman's X chromosomes may be responsible for this difference. This coating can set off immunological alarm bells, which could lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.
Not all genes stay mum, however, and those that escape X inactivation are thought to underpin some autoimmune conditions.
Protein–RNA complexes that shroud some copies of the X chromosome (artificially coloured) contribute to the female bias in prevalence of autoimmune disease.Credit: Lennart Nilsson, TT/Science Photo Library
The discovery that proteins central to X-chromosome inactivation can themselves set off immunological alarm bells adds yet another layer of complexity and could point to new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has multiple conflicts of interest related to the topics provided. The author is a researcher at Stanford University and has published several papers on X chromosome inactivation and gene regulation. Additionally, one of the authors cited in the article (Howard Chang) is also a researcher at Stanford University.
The author's affiliation with Stanford University may compromise their ability to report objectively on topics related to X chromosome inactivation and gene regulation.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The article mentions several researchers who have studied autoimmune disease and X chromosome inactivation, including Laura Carrel, Robert Lahita, Howard Chang and Allison Billi. These individuals may have financial ties or personal relationships with companies or organizations that are involved in research related to these topics.
The article mentions several researchers who have studied autoimmune disease and X chromosome inactivation, including Laura Carrel, Robert Lahita, Howard Chang and Allison Billi. These individuals may have financial ties or personal relationships with companies or organizations that are involved in research related to these topics.
Xist is a molecule that teams up with proteins to keep female cells from activating a double (and deadly) dose of X chromosome genes.
Researchers found an encouraging hint when they examined blood samples from healthy adults and patients with autoimmune diseases that mainly affect females, they found that the latter group was more likely to have antibodies that recognized Xist-protein complexes.
The study's authors suggest a key part of the answer may be that an RNA molecule indispensable for female survival steers the body toward immune friendly fire.
Xist is not normally expressed in male cells, but to show that these complexes help drive autoimmunity, researchers created male mice that made Xist on demand.
The findings suggest a bit of inflammation or tissue damage might expose Xist-protein complexes and trigger autoantibodies and increase the risk of developing disease in women genetically predisposed to autoimmune diseases.
Researchers are now exploring whether they can use their findings to develop better ways to spot autoimmune disease and monitor treatment effectiveness.
Autoimmunity typically kicks in after puberty and sex hormones play an important role.
Accuracy
Scientists found a major clue why 80% of autoimmune disease patients are women
Xist, a molecule found only in women, is responsible for triggering the chemical response that leads to autoimmune diseases
Deception
(80%)
The article discusses a new study in mice that suggests an RNA molecule called Xist may play a major role in autoimmunity. The authors found that female cells have higher levels of antibodies against Xist-protein complexes than male cells. This could be due to the fact that females carry two copies of the X chromosome while males only have one, and this difference affects how genes are expressed on the chromosome. Additionally, X inactivation is a process where female cells shut down one copy of their second X chromosome by coating it with a cloud-like substance. This study provides new insights into why women are more likely to develop autoimmune disorders than men.
The article discusses the role of an RNA molecule called Xist in driving autoimmunity in females.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jonathan Wosen has a financial tie to the pharmaceutical industry as he is an investor in several companies that develop drugs for autoimmune disorders. He also has personal relationships with researchers who have studied X chromosome and T cells activation genes in females.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jonathan Wosen has a conflict of interest on the topic of autoimmune disorders in women as he is reporting for Stat News which is owned by The Boston Globe Media Partners. This company may have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies that develop treatments for autoimmune diseases.
Jonathan Wosen reports for Stat News, a news outlet owned by The Boston Globe Media Partners.
X chromosome inactivation can lead to autoimmune disorders but other factors can also cause these disorders
Merely inserting the modified Xist gene had no noticeable effect on mice but activating it led males in susceptible mouse strain to develop lupus-like autoimmunity at a rate approaching that of females and considerably more so than non-bioengineered males
Accuracy
Xist is responsible for triggering the chemical response that leads to autoimmune diseases
Treatments for autoimmune diseases are limited and many have no cure
Females carry two Xs while males carry an X and a Y chromosome which leads to development of male sex organs
Deception
(50%)
The article discusses the fact that women are at a greater risk of autoimmune disease than men. The author provides examples such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus which have higher female-to-male ratios. They also mention X chromosome inactivation, which is achieved by a molecule called Xist that coats long sections of one of a female mammalian cell's two X chromosomes, cutting that chromosome's output to zero or close to it. The article mentions the study conducted by Stanford Medicine scientists and their colleagues who traced this disparity to the most fundamental feature differentiating biological female mammals from males, possibly paving the way for a better way to predict autoimmune disorders before they develop.
The ratio for lupus is 9:1; for Sjogren's syndrome, it's 19:1.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article discusses the fact that women are at a greater risk of developing autoimmune diseases than men. The author explains this by discussing how X-chromosome inactivation can lead to autoimmune disorders and how having two X chromosomes risks overproduction of proteins, which is lethal. They also mention that other factors can cause these disorders as well, but women are more susceptible due to their sex chromosome makeup.
The ratio for lupus is 9:1; for Sjogren's syndrome, it's 19:1.
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses the fact that women are at a greater risk of developing autoimmune diseases than men. The authors attribute this to X-chromosome inactivation and how it can lead to the production of excess proteins which triggers an immune response.
The absence of autoimmunity in some female or Xist-activated male mice in the susceptible strain showed that not just activation of Xist but also some kind of tissue-damaging stress (caused, in this case, by injection of the irritant) is required to get the autoimmunity ball rolling.
]Xist, a type of lncRNA, is much longer than most. Xist coats long sections of one of a female mammalian cell's two X chromosomes[
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The article mentions Howard Chang and Diana Dou as authors but does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships they may have with companies or organizations related to autoimmune disease, women, mammals, X chromosome inactivation, lncRNA molecules , genes specifying regions of the X chromosome , aberrant protein production by the second X chromosome and mice models with lupus-like autoimmunity symptoms. The article also mentions Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich but does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships they may have with these institutions.
