Sex differences in innate anti-viral immune responses to respiratory viruses and in their clinical outcomes in a birth cohort study.
Sci Rep
; 11(1): 23741, 2021 12 09.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34887467
The mechanisms explaining excess morbidity and mortality in respiratory infections among males are poorly understood. Innate immune responses are critical in protection against respiratory virus infections. We hypothesised that innate immune responses to respiratory viruses may be deficient in males. We stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 345 participants at age 16 years in a population-based birth cohort with three live respiratory viruses (rhinoviruses A16 and A1, and respiratory syncytial virus) and two viral mimics (R848 and CpG-A, to mimic responses to SARS-CoV-2) and investigated sex differences in interferon (IFN) responses. IFN-α responses to all viruses and stimuli were 1.34-2.06-fold lower in males than females (P = 0.018 - < 0.001). IFN-ß, IFN-γ and IFN-induced chemokines were also deficient in males across all stimuli/viruses. Healthcare records revealed 12.1% of males and 6.6% of females were hospitalized with respiratory infections in infancy (P = 0.017). In conclusion, impaired innate anti-viral immunity in males likely results in high male morbidity and mortality from respiratory virus infections.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
/
Rhinovirus
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
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Picornaviridae Infections
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Imidazoles
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Immunity, Innate
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Incidence_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
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Female
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Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Sci Rep
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Country of publication: