1.
Journal of the Endocrine Society
; 5(Supplement_1):A768-A769, 2021.
Article
in English
| PMC | ID: covidwho-1221832
ABSTRACT
Background: Male sex is a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and mortality. It is possible that the male sex hormone, testosterone, contributes to the morbidity from COVID-19. SARS-CoV2 viruses use cell membrane protein Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and undergo S protein priming by the Type II Transmembrane Serine Protease (TMPRSS2) to enter the cells. Hence, the expression level of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 may affect disease susceptibility and possible severity. TMPRSS2 is regulated by the androgen receptor. We, therefore, examined if an association exists between serum testosterone concentrations and ACE2 or TMPRSS2 expression level in men.