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Human cells involved in atherosclerosis have a sex

Flavia Franconi1, Giuseppe Rosano2, Stefania Basili3

  • 1Assessorato alle Politiche per la Persona of Basilicata Region, Potenza, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.

International Journal of Cardiology
|December 5, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Sex significantly influences cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis. This review highlights sex differences in cells and processes, revealing knowledge gaps and the need for including both sexes in research.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Sex influences cardiovascular diseases, yet cellular sex differences in atherosclerosis are understudied.
  • Atherosclerosis involves diverse cells (vascular, immune, endothelial progenitor), with limited reporting on cellular sex.
  • Sex hormones play a crucial role in atherosclerotic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review sex differences in human cells involved in atherosclerosis.
  • To emphasize the role of sex hormones in atherosclerotic cell behavior.
  • To explore sex-based variations in cellular fate mechanisms like apoptosis and autophagy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on sex differences in cellular mechanisms of atherosclerosis.
  • Analysis of studies reporting sex-specific data on vascular cells, immune cells, and endothelial progenitor cells.
  • Examination of sex hormone influences and sex differences in apoptotic and autophagic pathways.

Main Results:

  • Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding sex influences on many cell types in atherosclerosis.
  • Sex differences are observed in cellular processes, including apoptosis and autophagy.
  • Current research often fails to report the sex of cells or include both sexes in preclinical studies.

Conclusions:

  • There is a critical need to define experimental conditions clearly and include both sexes in preclinical atherosclerosis studies.
  • Understanding sex differences at the cellular level is essential for advancing atherosclerosis research.
  • Further investigation into sex-specific cellular mechanisms is required to address knowledge gaps.

Keywords:
AtherosclerosisHumansImmune cellsSex differencesVessel wall cells

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