The Immune Response to COVID-19: Does Sex Matter?
April 2022
in “
Immunology
”
TLDR Men and women get COVID-19 at similar rates, but men tend to get sicker and have a higher risk of dying, while women usually have stronger immune responses and vaccine reactions.
The document discusses the impact of sex on COVID-19 outcomes, attributing differences to variations in immune responses influenced by sex-related genes and hormones. Men and women have similar infection rates, but men experience higher disease severity and mortality. Females generally mount stronger immune responses against pathogens, potentially explaining their lower COVID-19 severity and mortality. However, certain groups of females, like pregnant women, may have worse outcomes. The document also explores the role of sex hormones, noting that males have higher levels of TMPRSS2, a gene facilitating viral entry, and more aggravated immune responses. Females have more efficient infection control due to higher levels of oestrogen enhancing TLR7 expression, which aids in antiviral immunity. The document also notes that females generally show stronger immune responses to vaccines. Further research is needed to understand the pathways targeted by these sex steroids and their clinical correlation.
