Sex Differences in Proatherogenic Cytokine Levels

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cardiovascular Science
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Sex impacts immune responses, including cytokine production.
• Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease driven by cytokines like IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex-based differences in proatherogenic cytokine levels in healthy adults.
• To explore the association of these cytokines with sex hormones and other atherosclerosis-related factors.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 104 healthy adults.
• Measured circulating levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, angiotensins, ACE2, osteoprotegerin, and RANKL.

Main Results:

• Significantly higher levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were found in men compared to women.
• These cytokines were associated with testosterone and the testosterone/estradiol ratio.
• The association with sex persisted after controlling for confounders, independent of hormone levels.

Conclusions:

• Sex influences proatherogenic cytokine levels, potentially explaining sex differences in cardiovascular risk.
• The observed associations are only partially explained by sex hormone levels.
• Findings align with sex disparities in infection vulnerability and cardiovascular disease prevalence.