Researchers have uncovered how hormones profoundly affect our immune systems, explaining why men and women are affected by diseases differently.
Imperial College LondonSep 5 2024
But it has proved difficult to unpick the direct influence of our genetics, hormones and behaviour on our immune systems; which elements are affected; and how this influences subsequent disease risk. According to the researchers, the findings – published today in the journal Nature – help to explain, for the first time, the mechanisms that underpin differences in the risk of infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancers among males and females, but could also open up potential avenues for new, more targeted treatments.
Testosterone treatment In the latest study, clinical researchers at the Karolinska Institutet recruited 23 transgender men, who had been registered 'female' at birth and were undergoing testosterone treatment. The team collected blood samples from patients before treatment, and then following three months and one year of testosterone treatment, analysing differences in the immune cells and proteins in the blood.
According to the researchers, the findings are important for understanding direct immunological consequences of hormone therapy in trans people. They add that changes to immune regulatory elements seen with hormone therapy may also explain why men and women respond differently to infections, and why males are more likely to experience 'cytokine storms' and increased mortality risk over females with COVID-19 and other severe infections.
Blood Covid-19 Genetics Hormone Laboratory Lupus Lupus Erythematosus Medical Research Medicine Research Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Testosterone
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