Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Several chronic liver diseases are characterized by a clear gender disparity. Among them, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows significantly higher incidence rates in men than in women. The different epidemiological distribution of risk factors for liver disease and HCC only partially accounts for t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/7/984 |
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| author | Riccardo Nevola Giovanni Tortorella Valerio Rosato Luca Rinaldi Simona Imbriani Pasquale Perillo Davide Mastrocinque Marco La Montagna Antonio Russo Giovanni Di Lorenzo Maria Alfano Maria Rocco Carmen Ricozzi Klodian Gjeloshi Ferdinando Carlo Sasso Raffaele Marfella Aldo Marrone Loreta Anesti Kondili Nicolino Esposito Ernesto Claar Domenico Cozzolino |
| author_facet | Riccardo Nevola Giovanni Tortorella Valerio Rosato Luca Rinaldi Simona Imbriani Pasquale Perillo Davide Mastrocinque Marco La Montagna Antonio Russo Giovanni Di Lorenzo Maria Alfano Maria Rocco Carmen Ricozzi Klodian Gjeloshi Ferdinando Carlo Sasso Raffaele Marfella Aldo Marrone Loreta Anesti Kondili Nicolino Esposito Ernesto Claar Domenico Cozzolino |
| author_sort | Riccardo Nevola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Several chronic liver diseases are characterized by a clear gender disparity. Among them, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows significantly higher incidence rates in men than in women. The different epidemiological distribution of risk factors for liver disease and HCC only partially accounts for these gender differences. In fact, the liver is an organ with recognized sexual dysmorphism and is extremely sensitive to the action of androgens and estrogens. Sex hormones act by modulating the risk of developing HCC and influencing its aggressiveness, response to treatments, and prognosis. Furthermore, androgens and estrogens are able to modulate the action of other factors and cofactors of liver damage (e.g., chronic HBV infection, obesity), significantly influencing their carcinogenic power. The purpose of this review is to examine the factors related to the different gender distribution in the incidence of HCC as well as the pathophysiological mechanisms involved, with particular reference to the central role played by sex hormones. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:17:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-826c6064bf8842929a363d194fa122f4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:17:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-826c6064bf8842929a363d194fa122f42023-11-18T18:23:57ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372023-07-0112798410.3390/biology12070984Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular CarcinomaRiccardo Nevola0Giovanni Tortorella1Valerio Rosato2Luca Rinaldi3Simona Imbriani4Pasquale Perillo5Davide Mastrocinque6Marco La Montagna7Antonio Russo8Giovanni Di Lorenzo9Maria Alfano10Maria Rocco11Carmen Ricozzi12Klodian Gjeloshi13Ferdinando Carlo Sasso14Raffaele Marfella15Aldo Marrone16Loreta Anesti Kondili17Nicolino Esposito18Ernesto Claar19Domenico Cozzolino20Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyLiver Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyLiver Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, ItalyLiver Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Mental Health and Public Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalyCenter for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, ItalyLiver Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, ItalyLiver Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, ItalySeveral chronic liver diseases are characterized by a clear gender disparity. Among them, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows significantly higher incidence rates in men than in women. The different epidemiological distribution of risk factors for liver disease and HCC only partially accounts for these gender differences. In fact, the liver is an organ with recognized sexual dysmorphism and is extremely sensitive to the action of androgens and estrogens. Sex hormones act by modulating the risk of developing HCC and influencing its aggressiveness, response to treatments, and prognosis. Furthermore, androgens and estrogens are able to modulate the action of other factors and cofactors of liver damage (e.g., chronic HBV infection, obesity), significantly influencing their carcinogenic power. The purpose of this review is to examine the factors related to the different gender distribution in the incidence of HCC as well as the pathophysiological mechanisms involved, with particular reference to the central role played by sex hormones.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/7/984hepatocellular carcinomaHCCsex hormonesandrogensestrogensgender |
| spellingShingle | Riccardo Nevola Giovanni Tortorella Valerio Rosato Luca Rinaldi Simona Imbriani Pasquale Perillo Davide Mastrocinque Marco La Montagna Antonio Russo Giovanni Di Lorenzo Maria Alfano Maria Rocco Carmen Ricozzi Klodian Gjeloshi Ferdinando Carlo Sasso Raffaele Marfella Aldo Marrone Loreta Anesti Kondili Nicolino Esposito Ernesto Claar Domenico Cozzolino Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Biology hepatocellular carcinoma HCC sex hormones androgens estrogens gender |
| title | Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
| title_full | Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
| title_fullStr | Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
| title_short | Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
| title_sort | gender differences in the pathogenesis and risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| topic | hepatocellular carcinoma HCC sex hormones androgens estrogens gender |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/7/984 |
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