Sex and COVID-19: A Protective Role for Reproductive Steroids.

Pinna, Graziano

Pinna, Graziano.

Pinna G; The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Electronic address: gpinna@uic.edu.

Trends Endocrinol Metab ; 32(1): 3-6, 2021 01.

Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-940894

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Evidence shows coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced symptom severity and mortality is more frequent in men than in women, suggesting sex steroids may play a protective role. Female reproductive steroids, estrogen and progesterone, and its metabolite allopregnanolone, are anti-inflammatory, reshape competence of immune cells, stimulate antibody production, and promote proliferation and repair of respiratory epithelial cells, suggesting they may protect against COVID-19 symptoms.

Subject(s)

COVID-19/immunology; Estradiol/immunology; Estrogens/immunology; Immune System/immunology; Inflammation/immunology; Pregnanolone/immunology; Pregnenolone/immunology; Progesterone/immunology; Signal Transduction/immunology; Age Factors; Animals; COVID-19/metabolism; Estradiol/metabolism; Estrogens/metabolism; Female; Humans; Immune System/metabolism; Inflammation/metabolism; Male; Pregnanolone/metabolism; Pregnenolone/metabolism; Progesterone/metabolism; Sex Factors

Keywords

COVID-19; allopregnanolone; estrogens; immune system; inflammation; progesterone

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Pregnanolone / Pregnenolone / Progesterone / Signal Transduction / Estradiol / Estrogens / COVID-19 / Immune System / Inflammation Type of study: Prognostic study Limits: Animals / Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Trends Endocrinol Metab Journal subject: Endocrinology / Metabolism Year: 2021 Document Type: Article

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