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Published on: April 21, 2012
Sex hormones and modulation of immunity against leishmaniasis
Heidi Snider1, Claudio Lezama-Davila, James Alexander
1Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Abstract:
Sex-associated hormones such as estradiol, testosterone and progesterone have all been shown to modulate immune responses, which can result in differential disease outcomes between males and females, as well as between pregnant and nonpregnant females. Most parasitic diseases, including leishmaniasis, usually result in more severe disease in males compared with females. This review highlights our current knowledge concerning the role of sex hormones in modulating leishmaniasis in both clinical settings and experimental disease models.
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