Type I IFN-dependent antibody response at the basis of sex dimorphism in the outcome of COVID-19.
Cytokine Growth Factor Rev
; 58: 66-74, 2021 04.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-838835
ABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, induces severe pneumonia mainly in elderly males. Epidemiological data clearly indicate sex-based differences in disease outcomes, with men accounting for about 70 % of deaths, despite similar susceptibility to infection. It is well known that females are endowed with higher capacity to produce antibodies, which correlates with viral clearance and disease resolution in the context of SARS-Cov-2 infection. Many X-linked immune genes escape X inactivation showing biallelic expression in female immune cells, particularly in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). PDCs are more active in females and endowed with high capability to induce IFN-α-mediated B cell activation and differentiation into antibody-producing plasma cells throughout epigenetic mechanisms linked to trained immunity. Thus, we hypothesize that following SARS-CoV-2 infection, epigenetic modifications of X-linked genes involved in pDC-mediated type I IFN (IFN-I) signaling occurs more effectively in females, for inducing neutralizing antibody response as an immune correlate driving sex-biased disease outcome.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Interferon Type I
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
/
Antibody Formation
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Cytokine Growth Factor Rev
Journal subject:
Allergy and Immunology
/
Biochemistry
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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