Sex- or gender-specific medicine in hepatology

Abstract

Sex- or gender-specific medicine is an up-to-date medical science in recent medical care. Medical doctors must offer better medical care and should understand and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the sex or gender differences regarding the incidence or etiology, clinical features, and natural history or response to therapies. Sex or gender differences are frequently seen among liver diseases, such as viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The mechanisms of sex or gender differences, however, are still unclear. Clinicians and basic scientists are required to cooperatively contribute to the development of sex- or gender-specific medicine to establish an accurate diagnosis and prophylaxis.