1. The immune response to <scp>COVID</scp> ‐19: Does sex matter?
- Author
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Jim Q. Ho, Mohammad Reza Sepand, Banafsheh Bigdelou, Tala Shekarian, Rahim Esfandyarpour, Prashant Chauhan, Vahid Serpooshan, Lalit K. Beura, Gregor Hutter, and Steven Zanganeh
- Subjects
Male ,Sex Factors ,Risk Factors ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Immunology ,Immunity ,COVID-19 ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Female ,Pandemics - Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2022