SeXX matters in immunity

J G Markle; E N Fish

doi:10.1016/j.it.2013.10.006

SeXX matters in immunity

Trends Immunol. 2014 Mar;35(3):97-104. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2013.10.006. Epub 2013 Nov 13.

Authors

J G Markle¹, E N Fish²

Affiliations

¹ St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York NY, 10065, USA.
² Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: en.fish@utoronto.ca.

PMID: 24239225
DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2013.10.006

Abstract

The significant contributions of sex to an immune response, specifically in the context of the sex bias observed in susceptibility to infectious and autoimmune diseases and their pathogenesis, have until recently, largely been ignored and understudied. This review highlights recent findings related to sex-specific factors that provide new insights into how sex determines the transcriptome, the microbiome, and the consequent immune cell functional profile to define an immune response. Unquestionably, accumulating data confirm that sex matters and must be a consideration when decisions around therapeutic intervention strategies are developed.

Keywords: autoimmunity; immune response; infection; sex; vaccination.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Autoimmunity / immunology*
Communicable Diseases / immunology*
Disease Susceptibility / immunology*
Female
Humans
Male
Sex Characteristics*
Vaccination

Grants and funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada