Immune-Related Diseases May Vary In Men And Women: Know Why?

It is quite natural to assume diseases affecting men and women differently because of their biological difference. In any of the diseases be it COVID-19, heart disease, stroke or autoimmune disorders show the difference in both men and women, according to studies.

A study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states that the diseases that we contract throughout our lives take place because of perinatal hormones (the hormones produced in our body right before or after birth) when it is associated with the mast Cells.

Most of the researchers have found that this happens because of the adult sex hormones which work and inform women’s immune responses which result in the difference in the immune systems.

Know about Mast cells

Mast cells can be associated with diseases and can be sex-biased. Mast cells are generally known as mastocytes or labrocytes which are a type of white cells that play a crucial role in maintaining the immune and neuroimmune systems.

Some studies reveal that these cells are sex bias and show many health issues like allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, neuroinflammatory pain disorders like migraines, an irritable syndrome which is generally associated with mast cell dysfunctions.

The health issues related to mast cell can even take place in children and girls, and not only be limited to the adults some research shows.

Also, according to few data the mast cell-mediated anaphylactic are reduced in males linked with high levels androgens (a group of hormones that play a role in male traits and reproductive function), which they have at birth.

Females have a higher store of inflammatory cell mediators released into their system for their immune responses.

And this can be also one reason that it may protect women against infections like Covid-19. But, it puts them into high risk of proactive and autoimmune diseases.

On the other hand, we are well aware that several studies have shown a higher death rate of men than women in COVID, and the reason might be the stronger immune system in women than in men.

However, researchers have also found a lack of androgens in females at the perinatal stage but can be cured by increasing their exposure to testosterone propionate, a type of androgen hormone.

Therefore to reduce any sex-biased immunological or diseases would require proper research and clinical trials globally which is very much important.