A gendered magnifying glass on COVID-19
Abstract COVID-19 pandemia is affecting Countries worldwide with a gendered death excess as being a male represents, especially in the 50–69 years age group, an unfavourable factor. Females are constitutionally prone to defend themselves against pathogens with a stronger efficiency than males. As a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Clinical and Molecular Allergy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12948-020-00129-2 |
| _version_ | 1828847078632062976 |
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| author | Lorenzo Salvati Benedetta Biagioni Emanuele Vivarelli Paola Parronchi |
| author_facet | Lorenzo Salvati Benedetta Biagioni Emanuele Vivarelli Paola Parronchi |
| author_sort | Lorenzo Salvati |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract COVID-19 pandemia is affecting Countries worldwide with a gendered death excess as being a male represents, especially in the 50–69 years age group, an unfavourable factor. Females are constitutionally prone to defend themselves against pathogens with a stronger efficiency than males. As a fact, several genes involved into the regulation of the innate and adaptive immune response are strategically placed on the X-chromosome and, among them, pathogen-related receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptor 7, suitable to recognize ssRNAs and trigger a gendered successful anti-viral fight. On the other hand, a more regulated IL-6 production and a more contained inflammation after the encounter of a pathogen supply score points in favour of the female sex in the view that an abnormal and exaggerated cytokine release does represent the hallmark of the deathful SARS-CoV-2 infection. The sex-prevalent expression of the attachment and permissive molecules ACE2 and TMPRSS2 further supports the concept of a male-oriented vulnerability. In this review, the possible role of biological and immunological sex differences into the higher morbidity and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 between females and males are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:01:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d974a2de6e7246998f7ab97c77beeed9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-7961 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:01:26Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical and Molecular Allergy |
| spelling | doaj.art-d974a2de6e7246998f7ab97c77beeed92022-12-22T00:10:31ZengBMCClinical and Molecular Allergy1476-79612020-08-0118111110.1186/s12948-020-00129-2A gendered magnifying glass on COVID-19Lorenzo Salvati0Benedetta Biagioni1Emanuele Vivarelli2Paola Parronchi3Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of FlorenceDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of FlorenceDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of FlorenceDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of FlorenceAbstract COVID-19 pandemia is affecting Countries worldwide with a gendered death excess as being a male represents, especially in the 50–69 years age group, an unfavourable factor. Females are constitutionally prone to defend themselves against pathogens with a stronger efficiency than males. As a fact, several genes involved into the regulation of the innate and adaptive immune response are strategically placed on the X-chromosome and, among them, pathogen-related receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptor 7, suitable to recognize ssRNAs and trigger a gendered successful anti-viral fight. On the other hand, a more regulated IL-6 production and a more contained inflammation after the encounter of a pathogen supply score points in favour of the female sex in the view that an abnormal and exaggerated cytokine release does represent the hallmark of the deathful SARS-CoV-2 infection. The sex-prevalent expression of the attachment and permissive molecules ACE2 and TMPRSS2 further supports the concept of a male-oriented vulnerability. In this review, the possible role of biological and immunological sex differences into the higher morbidity and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 between females and males are discussed.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12948-020-00129-2COVID-19SARS-CoV-2GenderSexFemaleX chromosome |
| spellingShingle | Lorenzo Salvati Benedetta Biagioni Emanuele Vivarelli Paola Parronchi A gendered magnifying glass on COVID-19 Clinical and Molecular Allergy COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Gender Sex Female X chromosome |
| title | A gendered magnifying glass on COVID-19 |
| title_full | A gendered magnifying glass on COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | A gendered magnifying glass on COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | A gendered magnifying glass on COVID-19 |
| title_short | A gendered magnifying glass on COVID-19 |
| title_sort | gendered magnifying glass on covid 19 |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Gender Sex Female X chromosome |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12948-020-00129-2 |
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