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. 2020 Oct-Dec;16(4):522-523.
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2020.522.

Sexual dimorphism in SARS-COV-2 infection

Z S Ulhaq  1 , G V Soraya  2 , L E A Zambrano  3 , C P Garcia  4
Affiliations

Sexual dimorphism in SARS-COV-2 infection

Z S Ulhaq et al. Acta Endocrinol (Buchar). 2020 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that female patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) demonstrate more favorable prognosis relative to male patients. In this article, we elaborate the possible role of estrogen in the modulation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection severity. The potential interplay between several factors, including inherently lower estradiol (E2) and slightly higher estrogen receptor β (ERβ) levels in males, with inflammatory mediators are described. Altogether, there seems to be a sexually dimorphic response towards SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a possibility that COVID-19 severity is dependent on both E2 levels and ERα:ERβ expression ratio in lymphoid and lung cells.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Sexual dimorphism; estrogen; estrogen receptor; inflammatory mediator.

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