Sexual Dimorphism and Gender in Infectious Diseases

Epidemiological studies and clinical observations show evidence of sexual dimorphism in infectious diseases. Women are at less risk than men when it comes to developing most infectious diseases. However, understanding these observations requires a gender approach that takes into account an analysis...

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Published inFrontiers in immunology Vol. 12; p. 698121
Main Authors Gay, Laetitia, Melenotte, Cléa, Lakbar, Ines, Mezouar, Soraya, Devaux, Christian, Raoult, Didier, Bendiane, Marc-Karim, Leone, Marc, Mège, Jean-Louis
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland Frontiers 22.07.2021
Frontiers Media S.A
Subjects
Bacteriology
Cardiology and cardiovascular system
Communicable Diseases
Emerging diseases
Female
gender
Human health and pathology
Humans
Immunology
infectious disease
Infectious diseases
Life Sciences
Male
Microbiology and Parasitology
Parasitology
personalized medicine
Sex Characteristics
sex hormones
sexual dimorphism
Virology
gender
sex hormones
infectious disease
sexual dimorphism
personalized medicine
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ISSN1664-3224
1664-3224
DOI10.3389/fimmu.2021.698121

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Summary:Epidemiological studies and clinical observations show evidence of sexual dimorphism in infectious diseases. Women are at less risk than men when it comes to developing most infectious diseases. However, understanding these observations requires a gender approach that takes into account an analysis of both biological and social factors. The host’s response to infection differs in males and females because sex differences have an impact on hormonal and chromosomal control of immunity. Estradiol appears to confer protective immunity, while progesterone and testosterone suppress anti-infectious responses. In addition, genetic factors, including those associated with sex chromosomes, also affect susceptibility to infections. Finally, differences in occupational activities, lifestyle, and comorbidities play major roles in exposure to pathogens and management of diseases. Hence, considering sexual dimorphism as a critical variable for infectious diseases should be one of the steps taken toward developing personalized therapeutic approaches.
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This article was submitted to Microbial Immunology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Immunology
These authors have contributed equally to this work and share first authorship
These authors have contributed equally to this work and share last authorship
Reviewed by: Katie Louise Flanagan, RMIT University, Australia; Sharvan Sehrawat, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, India
Edited by: Dane Parker, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, United States
ISSN:1664-3224
1664-3224
DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2021.698121