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Immune system and COVID-19 by sex differences and age
Tiziana Ciarambino1, Ombretta Para2, Mauro Giordano3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Marcianise Hospital, ASL Caserta, Italy.
Women'S Health (London, England)
|June 7, 2021
Summary
Females exhibit stronger immune responses to COVID-19 than males, potentially due to estrogen. Testosterone may reduce male immune and vaccination responses, with immune function declining in older individuals.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) has shown reported gender differences in severity and mortality.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and highlight gender disparities in the immune response to COVID-19.
- To explore the role of sex hormones in COVID-19 outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A literature search was conducted using PubMed up to October 30, 2020.
- Keywords included SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, gender, age, sex, and immune system.
Main Results:
- Females generally display more robust inflammatory, antiviral, and humoral immune responses compared to males.
- Estrogen may mitigate SARS-CoV-2 disease severity in females.
- Testosterone appears to diminish vaccination response and dampen cytokine response in males.
- Immune function shows a progressive decline in older individuals, particularly in females.
Conclusions:
- Significant gender differences exist in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Hormonal factors (estrogen and testosterone) likely play a role in these disparities.
- Further epidemiological studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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