Sex hormone-dependent and -independent regulation of serum BAFF and TNF in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and women

Background: The risk of inflammatory diseases is sex-dependent, but it rema ins unknown whether this is due to the impact of sex hormones or sex chromo somes. Transgender individuals represent a unique cohort for studying the relative influence of endocrine and chromosomal factors. Here we compar...

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Main Authors: Christos Tsatsanis, Angel Elenkov, Irene Leijonhufvud, Katerina Vaporidi, Åsa Tivesten, Aleksander Giwercman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bioscientifica 2023-02-01
Series:Endocrine Connections
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/12/3/EC-22-0456.xml
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author Christos Tsatsanis
Angel Elenkov
Irene Leijonhufvud
Katerina Vaporidi
Åsa Tivesten
Aleksander Giwercman
author_facet Christos Tsatsanis
Angel Elenkov
Irene Leijonhufvud
Katerina Vaporidi
Åsa Tivesten
Aleksander Giwercman
author_sort Christos Tsatsanis
collection DOAJ
description Background: The risk of inflammatory diseases is sex-dependent, but it rema ins unknown whether this is due to the impact of sex hormones or sex chromo somes. Transgender individuals represent a unique cohort for studying the relative influence of endocrine and chromosomal factors. Here we compared serum levels of B-cel l activating-factor (BAFF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in transgender men (TM), transgender women (TW), cisgender women (CW) and cisgender men (CM). Methods: BAFF and TNF were measured in the serum of 26 CW, 30 CM, 27 TM and 16 TW individuals. To determine the responsiveness of immune cells, T NF was measured in bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated peripheral leukocytes. Results: BAFF was higher in CF (998 pg/mL) and TW (973 pg/mL) compared to CM (551 pg/mL) (P < 0.0001) and TM (726 pg/mL) (P < 0.0001). No difference in BAFF levels was shown between subjects grouped according to the number of X chr omosomes. TNF was higher in CM (174 pg/mL) than TW (2.3 pg/mL) ( P = 0.027) and TM (27.4 pg/mL) (P = 0.028). LPS-induced TNF was higher in CM (2524 pg/mL) and TM (2078 pg/mL) than in CW (1332 pg/mL) (both P < 0.0001) and TW (1602 pg/mL) (both P = 0.009). Discussion: Sex hormones and sex chromosomes have different impacts on cyto kines involved in the sex-dependent inflammatory response. The concent ration of BAFF and LPS-stimulated TNF secretion depended on sex hormone levels, wh ereas basal TNF was regulated by both sex hormone-dependent and -independent factors.
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spelling doaj.art-2a819ac9c6014f1a93fb31f16ab3e1902023-02-04T15:41:32ZengBioscientificaEndocrine Connections2049-36142023-02-0112318https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-22-0456Sex hormone-dependent and -independent regulation of serum BAFF and TNF in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and womenChristos Tsatsanis0Angel Elenkov1Irene Leijonhufvud2Katerina Vaporidi3Åsa Tivesten4Aleksander Giwercman5Department of Clinical Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Molecular Reproductive Research Group, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, FORTH, Heraklion, GreeceMolecular Reproductive Research Group, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Reproductive Medicine Centre, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Malmö, SwedenReproductive Medicine Centre, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Malmö, SwedenMolecular Reproductive Research Group, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, SwedenWallenberg Laboratory for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, SwedenMolecular Reproductive Research Group, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Reproductive Medicine Centre, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Malmö, SwedenBackground: The risk of inflammatory diseases is sex-dependent, but it rema ins unknown whether this is due to the impact of sex hormones or sex chromo somes. Transgender individuals represent a unique cohort for studying the relative influence of endocrine and chromosomal factors. Here we compared serum levels of B-cel l activating-factor (BAFF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in transgender men (TM), transgender women (TW), cisgender women (CW) and cisgender men (CM). Methods: BAFF and TNF were measured in the serum of 26 CW, 30 CM, 27 TM and 16 TW individuals. To determine the responsiveness of immune cells, T NF was measured in bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated peripheral leukocytes. Results: BAFF was higher in CF (998 pg/mL) and TW (973 pg/mL) compared to CM (551 pg/mL) (P < 0.0001) and TM (726 pg/mL) (P < 0.0001). No difference in BAFF levels was shown between subjects grouped according to the number of X chr omosomes. TNF was higher in CM (174 pg/mL) than TW (2.3 pg/mL) ( P = 0.027) and TM (27.4 pg/mL) (P = 0.028). LPS-induced TNF was higher in CM (2524 pg/mL) and TM (2078 pg/mL) than in CW (1332 pg/mL) (both P < 0.0001) and TW (1602 pg/mL) (both P = 0.009). Discussion: Sex hormones and sex chromosomes have different impacts on cyto kines involved in the sex-dependent inflammatory response. The concent ration of BAFF and LPS-stimulated TNF secretion depended on sex hormone levels, wh ereas basal TNF was regulated by both sex hormone-dependent and -independent factors.https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/12/3/EC-22-0456.xmltnfbaffgenderimmunologyinflammation
spellingShingle Christos Tsatsanis
Angel Elenkov
Irene Leijonhufvud
Katerina Vaporidi
Åsa Tivesten
Aleksander Giwercman
Sex hormone-dependent and -independent regulation of serum BAFF and TNF in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and women
Endocrine Connections
tnf
baff
gender
immunology
inflammation
title Sex hormone-dependent and -independent regulation of serum BAFF and TNF in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and women
title_full Sex hormone-dependent and -independent regulation of serum BAFF and TNF in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and women
title_fullStr Sex hormone-dependent and -independent regulation of serum BAFF and TNF in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and women
title_full_unstemmed Sex hormone-dependent and -independent regulation of serum BAFF and TNF in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and women
title_short Sex hormone-dependent and -independent regulation of serum BAFF and TNF in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and women
title_sort sex hormone dependent and independent regulation of serum baff and tnf in cohorts of transgender and cisgender men and women
topic tnf
baff
gender
immunology
inflammation
url https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/12/3/EC-22-0456.xml
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