双语新闻：女性比男性更容易患自身免疫性疾病
Women are much more likely to get autoimmune diseases than men. New research may finally explain why.
女性比男性更容易患自身免疫性疾病。新的研究可能最终解释了原因。
Autoimmune diseases happen when the body's natural defenses, or immune system, attack the body's tissues.
当身体的自然防御系统或免疫系统攻击身体组织时，就会发生自身免疫性疾病。
Researchers from Stanford University in California say the reason for this may be connected to how the body deals with females' second X chromosome.
加州斯坦福大学的研究人员表示，造成这种情况的原因可能与身体处理女性第二条X染色体的方式有关。
The finding could help improve doctors' abilities to detect autoimmune diseases.
这一发现有助于提高医生检测自身免疫性疾病的能力。
E.John Wherry is an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania. He said the new study changes "the way we think about this whole process of autoimmunity."
E.John Wherry是宾夕法尼亚大学的免疫学家。他说，这项新研究改变了“我们对整个自身免疫过程的看法”。
Between 24 million and 50 million Americans suffer from an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and many other diseases.
2400万到5000万美国人患有自身免疫性疾病。自身免疫性疾病包括狼疮、风湿性关节炎、多发性硬化症和许多其他疾病。
About four of every five patients with an autoimmune disorder are women. Scientists have tried to find out why for many years.
大约五分之四的自身免疫性疾病患者是女性。多年来，科学家们一直试图找出原因。
One theory is that the X chromosome might be the reason. Females have two X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y.
一种理论认为X染色体可能是原因。女性有两条X染色体，而男性有一条X染色体和一条Y染色体。
The new research recently appeared in the publication Cell. The results show that the extra X is involved — but in an unexpected way.
这项新研究最近发表在《细胞》杂志上。结果表明，额外的X是参与其中的——但以一种意想不到的方式。
Our DNA is carried inside each cell in 23 pairs of chromosomes, including the final pair that decides biological sex. The X chromosome is packed with hundreds of genes, far more than males' much smaller Y chromosome.
我们的DNA携带在每个细胞内的23对染色体中，包括最后一对决定生物性别的染色体。X染色体包含数百个基因，远远多于男性的小得多的Y染色体。
Every female cell must turn off one of its X chromosome copies to avoid getting a dangerous double amount of all those genes. Scientists call this process X-chromosome inactivation.
每个雌性细胞都必须关闭其中一个X染色体副本，以避免危险地获得所有这些基因的双倍数量。科学家称这一过程为x染色体失活。
A special kind of RNA, called Xist, performs the X-chromosome inactivation. Xist is a long chain of RNA. It gathers in areas along a cell's extra X chromosome and attracts proteins that connect to it in unusual masses. Then it silences the chromosome.
一种叫做Xist的特殊RNA会使x染色体失活。存在是一长链RNA。它聚集在细胞额外X染色体的区域，吸引连接到它的蛋白质形成不寻常的团块。然后使染色体沉默。
Dr. Howard Chang is a dermatologist at Stanford University. He was exploring how Xist does its job when his lab found nearly 100 of those attached proteins. Chang saw that many of those proteins were related to skin-related autoimmune disorders. Patients can have "autoantibodies" that mistakenly attack these normal proteins.
霍华德·张博士是斯坦福大学的皮肤科医生。当他的实验室发现了近100个这种附着蛋白时，他正在探索Xist是如何工作的。Chang发现其中许多蛋白质与皮肤相关的自身免疫性疾病有关。病人体内的“自身抗体”会错误地攻击这些正常的蛋白质。
Chang told The Associated Press, "That got us thinking: These are the known ones. What about the other proteins in Xist?"
Chang告诉美联社，“这让我们想到:这些是已知的。那么Xist中的其他蛋白质呢?”
He added that the molecule, found only in women, might "somehow organize proteins in such a way as to activate the immune system."
他补充说，这种只在女性身上发现的分子可能“以某种方式组织蛋白质，从而激活免疫系统”。
If true, Xist by itself could not cause autoimmune disease. If it did, all women would be affected. Scientists have long thought it takes a combination of some genes and an environmental event, like an infection or injury, for the immune system to cause problems. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus is linked to multiple sclerosis.
如果这是真的，“存在”本身不会引起自身免疫性疾病。如果是这样，所有女性都会受到影响。长期以来，科学家们一直认为，免疫系统出现问题需要一些基因和环境事件(如感染或受伤)的结合。例如，爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒与多发性硬化症有关。
Chang receives financial support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press' Health and Science Department.
张博士接受霍华德休斯医学研究所的财政支持，该研究所也支持美联社的健康与科学部。
Chang's team decided to produce male lab mice to artificially make Xist — without turning off their only X chromosome — and see what happened. Researchers also specially bred mice susceptible to developing a lupus-like condition. The condition can be set off by a certain chemical.
Chang的团队决定在不关闭其唯一的X染色体的情况下，人工培育雄性实验鼠来制造Xist，看看会发生什么。研究人员还专门培育了易患狼疮的老鼠。这种情况可以由某种化学物质引起。
The Xist formed its usual protein masses. When the chemical was used, the male mice with Xist developed lupus-like autoimmunity at levels similar to females, the team found.
Xist形成了它通常的蛋白质团。研究小组发现，当使用这种化学物质时，患有Xist的雄性小鼠产生了与雌性相似的狼疮样自身免疫。
Chang said, "We think that's really important, for Xist RNA to leak out of the cell to where the immune system gets to see it."
Chang说:“我们认为这非常重要，因为Xist RNA从细胞中泄漏到免疫系统可以看到的地方。”
But he added that an environmental event is still needed to start the process.
但他补充说，仍需要一个环境事件来启动这一进程。
Beyond mice, researchers also looked at blood from 100 patients. They found autoantibodies targeting Xist-related proteins that scientists had not previously linked to autoimmune disorders. Chang said one possible reason was that most tests for autoimmunity were made using male cells.
除了小鼠，研究人员还观察了100名患者的血液。他们发现了针对xist相关蛋白的自身抗体，科学家们此前并未将其与自身免疫性疾病联系起来。Chang说，一个可能的原因是大多数自身免疫测试都是使用男性细胞进行的。
More research is necessary. But Wherry, the immunologist at Penn, said the findings might give doctors a shorter path to diagnosing patients.
更多的研究是必要的。但宾夕法尼亚大学的免疫学家惠利说，这些发现可能会缩短医生诊断病人的时间。
Wherry said one patient may have autoantibodies to Protein A and another patient may have autoantibodies to Proteins C and D. But he said knowing they are all related to Xist RNA can help doctors find diseases more easily.
韦里说，一个病人可能有蛋白质A的自身抗体，另一个病人可能有蛋白质C和d的自身抗体。但他说，知道它们都与Xist RNA有关，可以帮助医生更容易地发现疾病。
女性比男性更容易患自身免疫性疾病。新的研究可能最终解释了原因。
Autoimmune diseases happen when the body's natural defenses, or immune system, attack the body's tissues.
当身体的自然防御系统或免疫系统攻击身体组织时，就会发生自身免疫性疾病。
Researchers from Stanford University in California say the reason for this may be connected to how the body deals with females' second X chromosome.
加州斯坦福大学的研究人员表示，造成这种情况的原因可能与身体处理女性第二条X染色体的方式有关。
The finding could help improve doctors' abilities to detect autoimmune diseases.
这一发现有助于提高医生检测自身免疫性疾病的能力。
E.John Wherry is an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania. He said the new study changes "the way we think about this whole process of autoimmunity."
E.John Wherry是宾夕法尼亚大学的免疫学家。他说，这项新研究改变了“我们对整个自身免疫过程的看法”。
Between 24 million and 50 million Americans suffer from an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and many other diseases.
2400万到5000万美国人患有自身免疫性疾病。自身免疫性疾病包括狼疮、风湿性关节炎、多发性硬化症和许多其他疾病。
About four of every five patients with an autoimmune disorder are women. Scientists have tried to find out why for many years.
大约五分之四的自身免疫性疾病患者是女性。多年来，科学家们一直试图找出原因。
One theory is that the X chromosome might be the reason. Females have two X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y.
一种理论认为X染色体可能是原因。女性有两条X染色体，而男性有一条X染色体和一条Y染色体。
The new research recently appeared in the publication Cell. The results show that the extra X is involved — but in an unexpected way.
这项新研究最近发表在《细胞》杂志上。结果表明，额外的X是参与其中的——但以一种意想不到的方式。
Our DNA is carried inside each cell in 23 pairs of chromosomes, including the final pair that decides biological sex. The X chromosome is packed with hundreds of genes, far more than males' much smaller Y chromosome.
我们的DNA携带在每个细胞内的23对染色体中，包括最后一对决定生物性别的染色体。X染色体包含数百个基因，远远多于男性的小得多的Y染色体。
Every female cell must turn off one of its X chromosome copies to avoid getting a dangerous double amount of all those genes. Scientists call this process X-chromosome inactivation.
每个雌性细胞都必须关闭其中一个X染色体副本，以避免危险地获得所有这些基因的双倍数量。科学家称这一过程为x染色体失活。
A special kind of RNA, called Xist, performs the X-chromosome inactivation. Xist is a long chain of RNA. It gathers in areas along a cell's extra X chromosome and attracts proteins that connect to it in unusual masses. Then it silences the chromosome.
一种叫做Xist的特殊RNA会使x染色体失活。存在是一长链RNA。它聚集在细胞额外X染色体的区域，吸引连接到它的蛋白质形成不寻常的团块。然后使染色体沉默。
Dr. Howard Chang is a dermatologist at Stanford University. He was exploring how Xist does its job when his lab found nearly 100 of those attached proteins. Chang saw that many of those proteins were related to skin-related autoimmune disorders. Patients can have "autoantibodies" that mistakenly attack these normal proteins.
霍华德·张博士是斯坦福大学的皮肤科医生。当他的实验室发现了近100个这种附着蛋白时，他正在探索Xist是如何工作的。Chang发现其中许多蛋白质与皮肤相关的自身免疫性疾病有关。病人体内的“自身抗体”会错误地攻击这些正常的蛋白质。
Chang told The Associated Press, "That got us thinking: These are the known ones. What about the other proteins in Xist?"
Chang告诉美联社，“这让我们想到:这些是已知的。那么Xist中的其他蛋白质呢?”
He added that the molecule, found only in women, might "somehow organize proteins in such a way as to activate the immune system."
他补充说，这种只在女性身上发现的分子可能“以某种方式组织蛋白质，从而激活免疫系统”。
If true, Xist by itself could not cause autoimmune disease. If it did, all women would be affected. Scientists have long thought it takes a combination of some genes and an environmental event, like an infection or injury, for the immune system to cause problems. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus is linked to multiple sclerosis.
如果这是真的，“存在”本身不会引起自身免疫性疾病。如果是这样，所有女性都会受到影响。长期以来，科学家们一直认为，免疫系统出现问题需要一些基因和环境事件(如感染或受伤)的结合。例如，爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒与多发性硬化症有关。
Chang receives financial support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press' Health and Science Department.
张博士接受霍华德休斯医学研究所的财政支持，该研究所也支持美联社的健康与科学部。
Chang's team decided to produce male lab mice to artificially make Xist — without turning off their only X chromosome — and see what happened. Researchers also specially bred mice susceptible to developing a lupus-like condition. The condition can be set off by a certain chemical.
Chang的团队决定在不关闭其唯一的X染色体的情况下，人工培育雄性实验鼠来制造Xist，看看会发生什么。研究人员还专门培育了易患狼疮的老鼠。这种情况可以由某种化学物质引起。
The Xist formed its usual protein masses. When the chemical was used, the male mice with Xist developed lupus-like autoimmunity at levels similar to females, the team found.
Xist形成了它通常的蛋白质团。研究小组发现，当使用这种化学物质时，患有Xist的雄性小鼠产生了与雌性相似的狼疮样自身免疫。
Chang said, "We think that's really important, for Xist RNA to leak out of the cell to where the immune system gets to see it."
Chang说:“我们认为这非常重要，因为Xist RNA从细胞中泄漏到免疫系统可以看到的地方。”
But he added that an environmental event is still needed to start the process.
但他补充说，仍需要一个环境事件来启动这一进程。
Beyond mice, researchers also looked at blood from 100 patients. They found autoantibodies targeting Xist-related proteins that scientists had not previously linked to autoimmune disorders. Chang said one possible reason was that most tests for autoimmunity were made using male cells.
除了小鼠，研究人员还观察了100名患者的血液。他们发现了针对xist相关蛋白的自身抗体，科学家们此前并未将其与自身免疫性疾病联系起来。Chang说，一个可能的原因是大多数自身免疫测试都是使用男性细胞进行的。
More research is necessary. But Wherry, the immunologist at Penn, said the findings might give doctors a shorter path to diagnosing patients.
更多的研究是必要的。但宾夕法尼亚大学的免疫学家惠利说，这些发现可能会缩短医生诊断病人的时间。
Wherry said one patient may have autoantibodies to Protein A and another patient may have autoantibodies to Proteins C and D. But he said knowing they are all related to Xist RNA can help doctors find diseases more easily.
韦里说，一个病人可能有蛋白质A的自身抗体，另一个病人可能有蛋白质C和d的自身抗体。但他说，知道它们都与Xist RNA有关，可以帮助医生更容易地发现疾病。
