The immune response to COVID-19: Does sex matter?
Jim Q HoMohammad Reza SepandBanafsheh BigdelouTala ShekarianRahim EsfandyarpourPrashant ChauhanVahid SerpooshanLalit K BeuraGregor HutterSteven ZanganehPublished in: Immunology (2022)
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges worldwide. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19 and has a complex interaction with the immune system, including growing evidence of sex-specific differences in the immune response. Sex-disaggregated analyses of epidemiological data indicate that males experience more severe symptoms and suffer higher mortality from COVID-19 than females. Many behavioural risk factors and biological factors may contribute to the different immune response. This review examines the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the context of sex, with emphasis on potential biological mechanisms explaining differences in clinical outcomes. Understanding sex differences in the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection will help promote the development of specific strategies to manage the disease.
Keyphrases
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- coronavirus disease
- sars cov
- immune response
- risk factors
- dendritic cells
- toll like receptor
- cardiovascular events
- electronic health record
- depressive symptoms
- machine learning
- coronary artery disease
- risk assessment
- sleep quality
- physical activity
- climate change
- inflammatory response
- cardiovascular disease
- data analysis
- human health