Abstract
While clinical characteristics exhibit that susceptibility to COVID-19 infection is equally likely between males and females, clinical outcomes show that males experience both a higher severity and fatality for COVID-19 infection than females. This review examines the evidence for these sex and gender differences and aims to illustrate possible mechanisms behind such sensitivity. Successful entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the body is dependent on the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). Thus, sex-based differences in the expression of the ACE2 receptor and TMPRSS2 may explain the disparities in COVID-19 severity and fatality. Furthermore, these disparities may also be attributed to sex-based difference in immunological responses. Finally, the differences in clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infections between men and women may be due to gendered differences in behaviors, such as smoking, and prevalence to comorbidities. An understanding of the sex and gender sensitivities of COVID-19 infection is a necessary component towards the creation of effective treatment options and therapies for the virus. Graphical abstract.
Keywords: ACE-2; COVID-19; Gender; Hypertension; TMPRSS2.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Gender, hypertension, TMPRSS2., ACE-2, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, ACE2, TMPRSS2, therapy, Clinical characteristics, susceptibility, severity, Comorbidities, COVID-19 severity, Sex, ACE2 receptor, protease, smoking, virus, hypertension, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, clinical outcomes, Clinical outcome, ACE-2, Prevalence, sensitivity, COVID-19 infection, male, immunological responses, receptor, transmembrane protease serine 2, expression, mechanism, Angiotensin-converting enzyme, fatality, Evidence, angiotensin, Serine, Abstract, creation, COVID-19 infections, transmembrane, while, serine 2, females, effective, dependent on, explain, men and women, entry of SARS-CoV-2,