1
|
Amato-Menker CJ, Hopen Q, Pettit A, Gandhi J, Hu G, Schafer R, Franko J. XX sex chromosome complement modulates immune responses to heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae immunization in a microbiome-dependent manner. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:21. [PMID: 38486287 PMCID: PMC10938708 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00597-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differences in male vs. female immune responses are well-documented and have significant clinical implications. While the immunomodulatory effects of sex hormones are well established, the contributions of sex chromosome complement (XX vs. XY) and gut microbiome diversity on immune sexual dimorphisms have only recently become appreciated. Here we investigate the individual and collaborative influences of sex chromosome complements and gut microbiota on humoral immune activation. METHODS Male and female Four Core Genotype (FCG) mice were immunized with heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae (HKSP). Humoral immune responses were assessed, and X-linked immune-related gene expression was evaluated to explain the identified XX-dependent phenotype. The functional role of Kdm6a, an X-linked epigenetic regulatory gene of interest, was evaluated ex vivo using mitogen stimulation of B cells. Additional influences of the gut microbiome on sex chromosome-dependent B cell activation was also evaluated by antibiotically depleting gut microbiota prior to HKSP immunization. Reconstitution of the depleted microbiome with short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria tested the impact of SCFAs on XX-dependent immune activation. RESULTS XX mice exhibited higher HKSP-specific IgM-secreting B cells and plasma cell frequencies than XY mice, regardless of gonadal sex. Although Kdm6a was identified as an X-linked gene overexpressed in XX B cells, inhibition of its enzymatic activity did not affect mitogen-induced plasma cell differentiation or antibody production in a sex chromosome-dependent manner ex vivo. Enhanced humoral responses in XX vs. XY immunized FCG mice were eliminated after microbiome depletion, indicating that the microbiome contributes to the identified XX-dependent immune enhancement. Reconstituting microbiota-depleted mice with select SCFA-producing bacteria enhanced fecal SCFA concentrations and increased humoral responses in XX, but not XY, FCG mice. However, exposure to the SCFA propionate alone did not enhance mitogenic B cell stimulation in ex vivo studies. CONCLUSIONS FCG mice have been used to assess sex hormone and sex chromosome complement influences on various sexually dimorphic traits. The current study indicates that the gut microbiome impacts humoral responses in an XX-dependent manner, suggesting that the collaborative influence of gut bacteria and other sex-specific factors should be considered when interpreting data aimed at delineating the mechanisms that promote sexual dimorphism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carly J Amato-Menker
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Department of Research, West Virginia University School of Dentistry, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Quinn Hopen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Department of Research, West Virginia University School of Dentistry, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Andrea Pettit
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Jasleen Gandhi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gangqing Hu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Rosana Schafer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Jennifer Franko
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA.
- Department of Research, West Virginia University School of Dentistry, Morgantown, WV, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Amato-Menker C, Hopen Q, Pettit A, Gandhi J, Hu G, Schafer R, Franko J. XX sex chromosome complement modulates immune responses to heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae immunization in a microbiome-dependent manner. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3429829. [PMID: 37961596 PMCID: PMC10635377 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3429829/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Background Differences in male vs. female immune responses are well-documented and have significant clinical implications. While the immunomodulatory effects of sex hormones are well established, the contributions of sex chromosome complement (XX vs. XY) and gut microbiome diversity on immune sexual dimorphisms have only recently become appreciated. Here we investigate the individual and collaborative influences of sex chromosome complements and gut microbiome bacteria on humoral immune activation. Methods Sham-operated and gonadectomized male and female Four Core Genotype (FCG) mice were immunized with heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae (HKSP). Humoral immune responses were assessed, and X-linked immune-related gene expression was evaluated to explain the identified XX-dependent phenotypes. Ex vivo studies investigated the functional role of Kdm6a, an X-linked epigenetic regulatory gene of interest, in mitogenic B cell activation. Additionally, we examined whether gut microbiome communities, or their metabolites, differentially influence immune cell activation in a sex chromosome-dependent manner. Endogenous gut microbiomes were antibiotically depleted and reconstituted with select short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria prior to HKSP immunization and immune responses assessed. Results XX mice exhibited higher HKSP-specific IgM-secreting B cells and plasma cell frequencies than XY mice, regardless of gonadal sex. Although Kdm6a was identified as an X-linked gene overexpressed in XX B cells, inhibition of its enzymatic activity did not affect mitogen-induced plasma cell differentiation or antibody production in a sex chromosome-dependent manner ex vivo. Enhanced humoral responses in XX vs. XY immunized FCG mice were eliminated after microbiome depletion, indicating that the microbiome contributes to the identified XX-dependent immune enhancement. Reconstituting microbiota-depleted mice with select SCFA-producing bacteria increased humoral responses in XX, but not XY, FCG mice. This XX-dependent enhancement appears to be independent of SCFA production in males, while female XX-dependent responses relied on SCFAs. Conclusions FCG mice have been used to assess the influence of sex hormones and sex chromosome complements on various sexually dimorphic traits. The current study indicates that the gut microbiome impacts humoral responses in an XX-dependent manner, suggesting that the collaborative influence of gut bacteria and other sex-specific factors should be considered when interpreting data aimed at delineating the mechanisms that promote sexual dimorphism.
Collapse
|
3
|
Fairweather D, Beetler DJ, Musigk N, Heidecker B, Lyle MA, Cooper LT, Bruno KA. Sex and gender differences in myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy: An update. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1129348. [PMID: 36937911 PMCID: PMC10017519 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1129348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past decade there has been a growing interest in understanding sex and gender differences in myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and the purpose of this review is to provide an update on this topic including epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical presentation, diagnosis and management. Recently, many clinical studies have been conducted examining sex differences in myocarditis. Studies consistently report that myocarditis occurs more often in men than women with a sex ratio ranging from 1:2-4 female to male. Studies reveal that DCM also has a sex ratio of around 1:3 women to men and this is also true for familial/genetic forms of DCM. Animal models have demonstrated that DCM develops after myocarditis in susceptible mouse strains and evidence exists for this progress clinically as well. A consistent finding is that myocarditis occurs primarily in men under 50 years of age, but in women after age 50 or post-menopause. In contrast, DCM typically occurs after age 50, although the age that post-myocarditis DCM occurs has not been investigated. In a small study, more men with myocarditis presented with symptoms of chest pain while women presented with dyspnea. Men with myocarditis have been found to have higher levels of heart failure biomarkers soluble ST2, creatine kinase, myoglobin and T helper 17-associated cytokines while women develop a better regulatory immune response. Studies of the pathogenesis of disease have found that Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and TLR4 signaling pathways play a central role in increasing inflammation during myocarditis and in promoting remodeling and fibrosis that leads to DCM, and all of these pathways are elevated in males. Management of myocarditis follows heart failure guidelines and there are currently no disease-specific therapies. Research on standard heart failure medications reveal important sex differences. Overall, many advances in our understanding of the effect of biologic sex on myocarditis and DCM have occurred over the past decade, but many gaps in our understanding remain. A better understanding of sex and gender effects are needed to develop disease-targeted and individualized medicine approaches in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- DeLisa Fairweather
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Danielle J. Beetler
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Nicolas Musigk
- Department of Cardiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina Heidecker
- Department of Cardiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Melissa A. Lyle
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Leslie T. Cooper
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Katelyn A. Bruno
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lisanti C, Basile D, Garattini SK, Parnofiello A, Corvaja C, Cortiula F, Bertoli E, Ongaro E, Foltran L, Casagrande M, Di Nardo P, Cardellino GG, Fasola G, Buonadonna A, Pella N, Aprile G, Puglisi F. The SAFFO Study: Sex-Related Prognostic Role and Cut-Off Definition of Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR) in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010175. [PMID: 36612170 PMCID: PMC9818397 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Emerging data suggest that gender-related immune system composition affects both immune response and efficacy of immunotherapy in cancer patients (pts). This study aimed to investigate the sex-related prognostic role of MLR in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) pts. Methods: We analyzed a retrospective consecutive cohort of 490 mCRC patients treated from 2009 to 2018 at the Oncology Departments of Aviano and Pordenone (training set) and Udine (validation set), Italy. The prognostic impact of MLR on overall survival (OS) was evaluated with uni- and multivariable Cox regression models. The best cut-off value to predict survival was defined through ROC analyses. Results: Overall, we identified 288 males (59%) and 202 females (41%); 161 patients (33%) had a right-sided, 202 (42%) a left-sided primary, and 122 (25%) a rectal tumor. Interestingly, gender was associated with MLR (p = 0.004) and sidedness (p = 0.006). The obtained cut-off value for MLR in females and males was 0.27 and 0.49, respectively. According to univariate analysis of the training set, MLR (HR 9.07, p ≤ 0.001), MLR > 0.27 in females (HR 1.95, p = 0.003), and MLR > 0.49 in males (HR 2.65, p = 0.010) were associated with poorer OS, which was also confirmed in the validation set. In multivariate analysis, MLR > 0.27 in females (HR 2.77, p = 0.002), MLR > 0.49 in males (HR 5.39, p ≤ 0.001), BRAF mutation (HR 3.38, p ≤ 0.001), and peritoneal metastases (HR 2.50, p = 0.003) were still independently associated with worse OS. Conclusions: Males and females have a different immune response. Our study showed that high MLR, both in males and females, is an unfavorable Independent prognostic factor. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Lisanti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0434-659136
| | - Debora Basile
- Department of Medical Oncology, San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, 88900 Crotone, Italy
| | | | - Annamaria Parnofiello
- Sandro Pitigliani Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, 59100 Prato, Italy
| | - Carla Corvaja
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | | | - Elisa Bertoli
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Elena Ongaro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Luisa Foltran
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | | | - Paola Di Nardo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | | | - Gianpiero Fasola
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC University Hospital, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Angela Buonadonna
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Pella
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC University Hospital, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Aprile
- Department of Medical Oncology, San Bortolo Hospital, Azienda ULSS8 Berica, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mori M, Yokoyama A, Shichida A, Sasuga K, Maekawa T, Moriyama T. Impact of Sex and Age on mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Side Effects in Japan. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0130922. [PMID: 36314943 PMCID: PMC9769945 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01309-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
mRNA COVID-19 vaccination was initiated worldwide in late 2020, and its efficacy has been well reported. However, studies about vaccine-related side effects are sparse. A total of 262 health care workers who received mRNA COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 were recruited, and their vaccine-related side effects were investigated. Impact of sex and age on the side effects was statistically analyzed. A higher number of vaccine-related side effects among females versus males was identified (median 3 versus 2, P < 0.05, after the first dose, and 5 versus 2.5, P < 0.01, after the second dose). General fatigue, headache, chills, and fever were the culprit adverse symptoms. In multivariate analysis, females had an increasing number of side effects after receiving their first (B = 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2 to 1.2) and second (B = 1.5; 95% CI, 0.7 to 2.2) vaccine doses compared to that of males. In age analysis, the older group (≥60 years old) had a lower number of side effects than the younger group (B = -0.5 with a 95% CI of -1.1 to -0.02 after the first vaccine dose, and B = -2.1 with a 95% CI of -2.9 to -1.2 after the second vaccine dose). Additionally, prolonged time to recovery was found among females (P = 0.003 after the first dose; P = 0.008 after the second dose). Specifically, symptoms of general fatigue, headache, itching, swelling at the injection site, and dizziness were the culprit symptoms affecting recovery time. Several cutaneous and membranous symptoms, including "COVID arm," were identified among females. These results highlight the impact of sex and age on side effects from mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and will aid in creating a safer vaccine. IMPORTANCE We demonstrate sex- and age-related impact on mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-related side effects, with a higher number and frequency of side effects and prolonged time to recovery in females compared to males and negative correlation between age and vaccine-related side effects. Identification of unique age- and sex-specific adverse symptoms will provide the opportunity to better understand the nature of sex- and age-associated immunological differences and develop safer and more efficacious vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masahiko Mori
- Department of Internal Medicine, Sasebo Memorial Hospital, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Aiko Yokoyama
- Regional Medical Cooperation Office, Sasebo Memorial Hospital, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Ayami Shichida
- Medical Administration Division, Sasebo Memorial Hospital, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kimiko Sasuga
- Department of Medical Information, Sasebo Memorial Hospital, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takafumi Maekawa
- Department of Surgery, Sasebo Memorial Hospital, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Fukuoka Central Hospital, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tadayoshi Moriyama
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sasebo Memorial Hospital, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Riedl D, Labek K, Gottfried T, Innerhofer V, Santer M, Weigel B, Dejaco D. Man flu is not a thing - Gender-specific secondary analysis of a prospective randomized-controlled trial for acute rhinosinusitis. J Psychosom Res 2022; 163:111047. [PMID: 36228432 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.111047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 'Man flu' is a popular term to describe hypersensitivity to acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) in men. While this pop-cultural description may influence the social perspective of ARS, so far, no prospective observational data on the gender-specific natural development of ARS is available. METHODS Secondary data analyses were performed from the placebo arm of a prospective, interventional phase IV clinical trial. Objective measurement of ARS symptoms were assessed with the Major Symptom Score (MSS), a clinician-rated assessment tool. The Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) was used for symptom self-report. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with gender as a group variable were used to investigate changes in MMS and SNOT-22 total score and subscales over time. RESULTS While MMS scores did not differ at baseline, women showed a significantly greater reduction than men with a medium effect size (p = .040) over time. In the patient-reported symptom score, women showed a significantly higher symptom load at baseline (p = .038), but also a significantly faster subjective improvement of symptoms than men during the course of time with a medium effect size (p = .020). However, when separately assessing the SNOT-22 subscales, a significant time*gender effect was only found for emotional symptoms (p = .047). No gender effect was found for neither nasal, otological, or sleep symptoms (all p > .05). DISCUSSION Although a certain gender difference was found both in the clinician- as well as patient-rated ARS symptoms, the hypothesis of a 'man flu' should be disregarded. Gender differences in ARS symptomatology should be carefully evaluated without stigmatizing symptom distress based on gender perceptions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Riedl
- University Hospital of Psychiatry II, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - K Labek
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - T Gottfried
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - V Innerhofer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias Santer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - B Weigel
- University Hospital of Psychiatry II, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - D Dejaco
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Testosterone Promotes the Intestinal Replication and Dissemination of Coxsackievirus B3 in an Oral Inoculation Mouse Model. J Virol 2022; 96:e0123222. [PMID: 36037480 PMCID: PMC9472648 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01232-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteroviruses initiate infection in the gastrointestinal tract, and sex is often a biological variable that impacts pathogenesis. Previous data suggest that sex hormones can influence the intestinal replication of Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), an enterovirus in the Picornaviridae family. However, the specific sex hormone(s) that regulates intestinal CVB3 replication is poorly understood. To determine if testosterone promotes intestinal CVB3 replication, we orally inoculated male and female Ifnar-/- mice that were treated with either placebo or testosterone-filled capsules. Following oral inoculation, we found that the testosterone-treated male and female mice shed significantly more CVB3 in their feces than did the placebo-treated mice, indicating that testosterone enhances intestinal replication. Similarly, testosterone enhanced viral dissemination in both sexes, as we observed higher viral loads in peripheral tissues following infection. Further, the testosterone-treated male mice also had a higher mortality rate than did the testosterone-depleted male mice. Finally, we observed that testosterone significantly affected the immune response to CVB3. We found that testosterone broadly increased proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines while decreasing the number of splenic B cells and dendritic cells following CVB3 infection. Moreover, while testosterone did not affect the early CD4 T cell response to CVB3, testosterone reduced the activation of CD8 T cells. These data indicate that testosterone can promote intestinal CVB3 replication and dissemination while also impacting the subsequent viral immune response. IMPORTANCE Biological sex plays a significant role in the outcomes of various infections and diseases. The impact of sex hormones on the intestinal replication and dissemination of Coxsackievirus B3 remains poorly understood. Using an oral inoculation model, we found that testosterone enhances CVB3 shedding and dissemination in male and female mice. Further, testosterone can alter the immune response to CVB3. This work highlights the role of testosterone in CVB3 pathogenesis and suggests that sex hormones can impact the replication and dissemination of enteric viruses.
Collapse
|
8
|
Cīrulis A, Hansson B, Abbott JK. Sex-limited chromosomes and non-reproductive traits. BMC Biol 2022; 20:156. [PMID: 35794589 PMCID: PMC9261002 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01357-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are typically viewed as having originated from a pair of autosomes, and differentiated as the sex-limited chromosome (e.g. Y) has degenerated by losing most genes through cessation of recombination. While often thought that degenerated sex-limited chromosomes primarily affect traits involved in sex determination and sex cell production, accumulating evidence suggests they also influence traits not sex-limited or directly involved in reproduction. Here, we provide an overview of the effects of sex-limited chromosomes on non-reproductive traits in XY, ZW or UV sex determination systems, and discuss evolutionary processes maintaining variation at sex-limited chromosomes and molecular mechanisms affecting non-reproductive traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aivars Cīrulis
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kashani NR, Azadbakht J, Ehteram H, Kashani HH, Rajabi-Moghadam H, Ahmad E, Nikzad H, Hosseini ES. Molecular and Clinical Investigation of COVID-19: From Pathogenesis and Immune Responses to Novel Diagnosis and Treatment. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:770775. [PMID: 35664675 PMCID: PMC9161360 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.770775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus-related severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV) in 2002/2003, the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) in 2012/2013, and especially the current 2019/2021 severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) negatively affected the national health systems worldwide. Different SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.617.2), and recently Omicron (B.1.1.529), have emerged resulting from the high rate of genetic recombination and S1-RBD/S2 mutation/deletion in the spike protein that has an impact on the virus activity. Furthermore, genetic variability in certain genes involved in the immune system might impact the level of SARS-CoV-2 recognition and immune response against the virus among different populations. Understanding the molecular mechanism and function of SARS-CoV-2 variants and their different epidemiological outcomes is a key step for effective COVID-19 treatment strategies, including antiviral drug development and vaccine designs, which can immunize people with genetic variabilities against various strains of SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we center our focus on the recent and up-to-date knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 (Alpha to Omicron) origin and evolution, structure, genetic diversity, route of transmission, pathogenesis, new diagnostic, and treatment strategies, as well as the psychological and economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on individuals and their lives around the world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Riahi Kashani
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Javid Azadbakht
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Hassan Ehteram
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Hamed Haddad Kashani
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Hassan Rajabi-Moghadam
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Ejaz Ahmad
- Department of Pathology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Hossein Nikzad
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Elahe Seyed Hosseini
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
- Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chaturvedi R, Lui B, Aaronson JA, White RS, Samuels JD. COVID-19 complications in males and females: recent developments. J Comp Eff Res 2022; 11:689-698. [PMID: 35510532 PMCID: PMC9149780 DOI: 10.2217/cer-2022-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: To provide a comprehensive understanding of the varying effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection based on sex. Methods: A PubMed search of 470 primary articles was performed, with inclusion based on relevance (sex differences discussed in the target COVID population) and redundancy. PubMed was queried based on title for the keywords “SEX” and “COVID” or “SARS” between 2020 and 2022. Results: For COVID-19, males have increased risk for infectivity and intensive care unit admission and worse overall outcomes compared with females. Genetic predispositions, sex hormones, immune system responses and non-biological causes all contribute to the disparity in COVID-19 responses between the sexes. COVID-19 sex-related determinants of morbidity and mortality remain unclear. Conclusions: Male sex is a risk factor for several overall worse outcomes related to COVID-19. Investigating the sex impact of COVID-19 is an important part of understanding the behavior of the disease. Future work is needed to further explore these relationships and optimize the management of COVID-19 patients based on sex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Chaturvedi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 East 68th Street, Box 124, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Briana Lui
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jamie A Aaronson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 East 68th Street, Box 124, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Robert S White
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 East 68th Street, Box 124, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jon D Samuels
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 East 68th Street, Box 124, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Heydari R, Jangravi Z, Maleknia S, Seresht-Ahmadi M, Bahari Z, Salekdeh GH, Meyfour A. Y chromosome is moving out of sex determination shadow. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:4. [PMID: 34983649 PMCID: PMC8724748 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00741-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Although sex hormones play a key role in sex differences in susceptibility, severity, outcomes, and response to therapy of different diseases, sex chromosomes are also increasingly recognized as an important factor. Studies demonstrated that the Y chromosome is not a 'genetic wasteland' and can be a useful genetic marker for interpreting various male-specific physiological and pathophysiological characteristics. Y chromosome harbors male‑specific genes, which either solely or in cooperation with their X-counterpart, and independent or in conjunction with sex hormones have a considerable impact on basic physiology and disease mechanisms in most or all tissues development. Furthermore, loss of Y chromosome and/or aberrant expression of Y chromosome genes cause sex differences in disease mechanisms. With the launch of the human proteome project (HPP), the association of Y chromosome proteins with pathological conditions has been increasingly explored. In this review, the involvement of Y chromosome genes in male-specific diseases such as prostate cancer and the cases that are more prevalent in men, such as cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, and cancers, has been highlighted. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Y chromosome-related diseases can have a significant impact on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raheleh Heydari
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zohreh Jangravi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samaneh Maleknia
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrshad Seresht-Ahmadi
- Department of Basic Science and Advanced Technologies in Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Bahari
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Anna Meyfour
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Riaz M, Mattisson J, Polekhina G, Bakshi A, Halvardson J, Danielsson M, Ameur A, McNeil J, Forsberg LA, Lacaze P. A polygenic risk score predicts mosaic loss of chromosome Y in circulating blood cells. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:205. [PMID: 34895331 PMCID: PMC8667399 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00716-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mosaic loss of Y chromosome (LOY) is the most common somatic change that occurs in circulating white blood cells of older men. LOY in leukocytes is associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality and a range of common disease such as hematological and non-hematological cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular events. Recent genome-wide association studies identified up to 156 germline variants associated with risk of LOY. The objective of this study was to use these variants to calculate a novel polygenic risk score (PRS) for LOY, and to assess the predictive performance of this score in a large independent population of older men. Results We calculated a PRS for LOY in 5131 men aged 70 years and older. Levels of LOY were estimated using microarrays and validated by whole genome sequencing. After adjusting for covariates, the PRS was a significant predictor of LOY (odds ratio [OR] = 1.74 per standard deviation of the PRS, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.62–1.86, p < 0.001). Men in the highest quintile of the PRS distribution had > fivefold higher risk of LOY than the lowest (OR = 5.05, 95% CI 4.05–6.32, p < 0.001). Adding the PRS to a LOY prediction model comprised of age, smoking and alcohol consumption significantly improved prediction (AUC = 0.628 [CI 0.61–0.64] to 0.695 [CI 0.67–0.71], p < 0.001). Conclusions Our results suggest that a PRS for LOY could become a useful tool for risk prediction and targeted intervention for common disease in men. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13578-021-00716-z.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moeen Riaz
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jonas Mattisson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Galina Polekhina
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Andrew Bakshi
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jonatan Halvardson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marcus Danielsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Adam Ameur
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John McNeil
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lars A Forsberg
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. .,The Beijer Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Paul Lacaze
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lipoldová M, Demant P. Gene-Specific Sex Effects on Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases. Front Immunol 2021; 12:712688. [PMID: 34721380 PMCID: PMC8553003 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.712688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is an integral part of defense against most infectious diseases. These pathogen-induced immune responses are in very many instances strongly influenced by host’s sex. As a consequence, sexual dimorphisms were observed in susceptibility to many infectious diseases. They are pathogen dose-dependent, and their outcomes depend on pathogen and even on its species or subspecies. Sex may differentially affect pathology of various organs and its influence is modified by interaction of host’s hormonal status and genotype: sex chromosomes X and Y, as well as autosomal genes. In this Mini Review we summarize the major influences of sex in human infections and subsequently focus on 22 autosomal genes/loci that modify in a sex-dependent way the response to infectious diseases in mouse models. These genes have been observed to influence susceptibility to viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and worms. Some sex-dependent genes/loci affect susceptibility only in females or only in males, affect both sexes, but have stronger effect in one sex; still other genes were shown to affect the disease in both sexes, but with opposite direction of effect in females and males. The understanding of mechanisms of sex-dependent differences in the course of infectious diseases may be relevant for their personalized management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Lipoldová
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Peter Demant
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased awareness about sex-specific differences in immunity and outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Strong evidence of a male bias in COVID-19 disease severity is hypothesized to be mediated by sex differential immune responses against SARS-CoV-2. This hypothesis is based on data from other viral infections, including influenza viruses, HIV, hepatitis viruses, and others that have demonstrated sex-specific immunity to viral infections. Although males are more susceptible to most viral infections, females possess immunological features that render them more vulnerable to distinct immune-related disease outcomes. Both sex chromosome complement and related genes as well as sex steroids play important roles in mediating the development of sex differences in immunity to viral infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabra L. Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mattisson J, Danielsson M, Hammond M, Davies H, Gallant CJ, Nordlund J, Raine A, Edén M, Kilander L, Ingelsson M, Dumanski JP, Halvardson J, Forsberg LA. Leukocytes with chromosome Y loss have reduced abundance of the cell surface immunoprotein CD99. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15160. [PMID: 34312421 PMCID: PMC8313698 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94588-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosaic loss of chromosome Y (LOY) in immune cells is a male-specific mutation associated with increased risk for morbidity and mortality. The CD99 gene, positioned in the pseudoautosomal regions of chromosomes X and Y, encodes a cell surface protein essential for several key properties of leukocytes and immune system functions. Here we used CITE-seq for simultaneous quantification of CD99 derived mRNA and cell surface CD99 protein abundance in relation to LOY in single cells. The abundance of CD99 molecules was lower on the surfaces of LOY cells compared with cells without this aneuploidy in all six types of leukocytes studied, while the abundance of CD proteins encoded by genes located on autosomal chromosomes were independent from LOY. These results connect LOY in single cells with immune related cellular properties at the protein level, providing mechanistic insight regarding disease vulnerability in men affected with mosaic chromosome Y loss in blood leukocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Mattisson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marcus Danielsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Hammond
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hanna Davies
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Caroline J Gallant
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Nordlund
- Department of Medical Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amanda Raine
- Department of Medical Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Malin Edén
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences / Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lena Kilander
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences / Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences / Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan P Dumanski
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Faculty of Pharmacy, 3P Medicine Laboratory, International Research Agendas Programme, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jonatan Halvardson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars A Forsberg
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. .,The Beijer Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gay L, Melenotte C, Lakbar I, Mezouar S, Devaux C, Raoult D, Bendiane MK, Leone M, Mège JL. Sexual Dimorphism and Gender in Infectious Diseases. Front Immunol 2021; 12:698121. [PMID: 34367158 PMCID: PMC8339590 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.698121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies and clinical observations show evidence of sexual dimorphism in infectious diseases. Women are at less risk than men when it comes to developing most infectious diseases. However, understanding these observations requires a gender approach that takes into account an analysis of both biological and social factors. The host’s response to infection differs in males and females because sex differences have an impact on hormonal and chromosomal control of immunity. Estradiol appears to confer protective immunity, while progesterone and testosterone suppress anti-infectious responses. In addition, genetic factors, including those associated with sex chromosomes, also affect susceptibility to infections. Finally, differences in occupational activities, lifestyle, and comorbidities play major roles in exposure to pathogens and management of diseases. Hence, considering sexual dimorphism as a critical variable for infectious diseases should be one of the steps taken toward developing personalized therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Gay
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Cléa Melenotte
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, Economy and Social Science, Health Care Systems and Societies, Marseille, France
| | - Ines Lakbar
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Univ, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Soraya Mezouar
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Christian Devaux
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Marc-Karim Bendiane
- Aix-Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, Economy and Social Science, Health Care Systems and Societies, Marseille, France
| | - Marc Leone
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Univ, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Louis Mège
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Sex-related differences in the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in malignancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:15413-15432. [PMID: 34086601 PMCID: PMC8221333 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Although disease susceptibility is known to differ between men and women, it is controversial whether the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for malignancies also differs between the sexes. We conducted a meta-analysis to explore the impact of sex on immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment outcomes. We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases from inception to October 1, 2020 for randomized controlled trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors with hazard ratios (HRs) stratified by sex. We calculated the pooled HRs for men and women using the ln(HR), and assessed the heterogeneity between the two estimates through an interaction test. In total, 22,268 patients from 39 randomized controlled trials were included. Immune checkpoint inhibitors yielded better overall survival than conventional agents in both men (HR: 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71-0.80) and women (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.70-0.85). Progression-free survival benefits were also observed in both men (HR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.58-0.70) and women (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.58-0.77) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. No sex differences in the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors were found when overall survival and progression-free survival were used as the endpoints.
Collapse
|
18
|
Dumanski JP, Halvardson J, Davies H, Rychlicka-Buniowska E, Mattisson J, Moghadam BT, Nagy N, Węglarczyk K, Bukowska-Strakova K, Danielsson M, Olszewski P, Piotrowski A, Oerton E, Ambicka A, Przewoźnik M, Bełch Ł, Grodzicki T, Chłosta PL, Imreh S, Giedraitis V, Kilander L, Nordlund J, Ameur A, Gyllensten U, Johansson Å, Józkowicz A, Siedlar M, Klich-Rączka A, Jaszczyński J, Enroth S, Baran J, Ingelsson M, Perry JRB, Ryś J, Forsberg LA. Immune cells lacking Y chromosome show dysregulation of autosomal gene expression. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4019-4033. [PMID: 33837451 PMCID: PMC8106578 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03822-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological investigations show that mosaic loss of chromosome Y (LOY) in leukocytes is associated with earlier mortality and morbidity from many diseases in men. LOY is the most common acquired mutation and is associated with aberrant clonal expansion of cells, yet it remains unclear whether this mosaicism exerts a direct physiological effect. We studied DNA and RNA from leukocytes in sorted- and single-cells in vivo and in vitro. DNA analyses of sorted cells showed that men diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease was primarily affected with LOY in NK cells whereas prostate cancer patients more frequently displayed LOY in CD4 + T cells and granulocytes. Moreover, bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing in leukocytes allowed scoring of LOY from mRNA data and confirmed considerable variation in the rate of LOY across individuals and cell types. LOY-associated transcriptional effect (LATE) was observed in ~ 500 autosomal genes showing dysregulation in leukocytes with LOY. The fraction of LATE genes within specific cell types was substantially larger than the fraction of LATE genes shared between different subsets of leukocytes, suggesting that LOY might have pleiotropic effects. LATE genes are involved in immune functions but also encode proteins with roles in other diverse biological processes. Our findings highlight a surprisingly broad role for chromosome Y, challenging the view of it as a "genetic wasteland", and support the hypothesis that altered immune function in leukocytes could be a mechanism linking LOY to increased risk for disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan P Dumanski
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Faculty of Pharmacy and 3P Medicine Laboratory, International Research Agendas Programme, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Jonatan Halvardson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hanna Davies
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Edyta Rychlicka-Buniowska
- International Research Agendas Programme, 3P Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jonas Mattisson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Behrooz Torabi Moghadam
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Noemi Nagy
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kazimierz Węglarczyk
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Paediatrics, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Kraków, Poland
| | - Karolina Bukowska-Strakova
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Paediatrics, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marcus Danielsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Paweł Olszewski
- International Research Agendas Programme, 3P Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Piotrowski
- Faculty of Pharmacy and 3P Medicine Laboratory, International Research Agendas Programme, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Erin Oerton
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Aleksandra Ambicka
- Department of Tumour Pathology, Kraków Branch, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marcin Przewoźnik
- Department of Tumour Pathology, Kraków Branch, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Kraków, Poland
| | - Łukasz Bełch
- Department and Clinic of Urology, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Kraków, Poland
| | - Tomasz Grodzicki
- Department and Clinic of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr L Chłosta
- Department and Clinic of Urology, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Kraków, Poland
| | - Stefan Imreh
- Department Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vilmantas Giedraitis
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lena Kilander
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Nordlund
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Adam Ameur
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulf Gyllensten
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åsa Johansson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alicja Józkowicz
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Maciej Siedlar
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Paediatrics, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Kraków, Poland
| | - Alicja Klich-Rączka
- Department and Clinic of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Kraków, Poland
| | - Janusz Jaszczyński
- Department of Urology, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre, Institute of Oncology, Kraków Branch, Kraków, Poland
| | - Stefan Enroth
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jarosław Baran
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Paediatrics, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Kraków, Poland
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John R B Perry
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Janusz Ryś
- Department of Tumour Pathology, Kraków Branch, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lars A Forsberg
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. .,The Beijer Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Y Chromosome Loss is a Frequent Event in Barrett's Adenocarcinoma and Associated with Poor Outcome. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071743. [PMID: 32629877 PMCID: PMC7408596 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The loss of the Y chromosome in various malignant diseases has been described previously. There are no reliable information on the actual frequency, significance and homogeneity of Y chromosome loss (LoY) in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Methods: 400 male EAC including lymph-node metastases were analyzed with commercially available Y chromosome specific fluorescence in-situ probes. The results were correlated with molecular and immunohistochemical markers and clinicopathological aspects. Results: The entire cohort (n = 400) showed a singular LoY of one chromosome arm in 1.0% (q-arm) and 2.8% (p-arm), complete LoY in 52.5%. LoY was strongly associated with shortened overall-survival (OS). Patients with preserved Y chromosome had a median OS of 58.8 months, patients with LoY an OS of 19.4 months (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed LoY as an independent prognostic marker with a hazard ratio of 1.835 (95% CI 1.233–2.725). LoY correlated with TP53 mutations (p = 0.003), KRAS amplification (p = 0.004), loss of ARID1a (p = 0.045) and presence of LAG3 (p = 0.018). Conclusions: Loss of the Y chromosome is a very common phenomenon in EAC. The LoY is heterogeneously distributed within the tumor, but corresponding lymph node metastases frequently show homogeneous LoY, indicating a selection and metastasizing advantage with poor prognosis. To date, the male predominance of EAC (7–9:1) is unclear, so genetic explanatory models are favored. The LoY in EAC may be biologically and functionally relevant and additional genomic or functional analyses are needed.
Collapse
|
20
|
Kloc M, Ghobrial RM, Kubiak JZ. The Role of Genetic Sex and Mitochondria in Response to COVID-19 Infection. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2020; 181:629-634. [PMID: 32564017 PMCID: PMC7360490 DOI: 10.1159/000508560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The difference between the female and male immune response to COVID-19 infection, and infections in general, is multifactorial. The well-known determiners of the immune response, such as X and Y chromosomes, sex hormones, and microbiota, are functionally interconnected and influence each other in shaping the organism's immunity. We focus our commentary on the interplay between the genetic sex and mitochondria and how this may affect a sex-dependent immune response in COVID-19 infection. Realizing the existence of these interactions may help in designing novel methods or fine-tuning the existing and routine therapies to fight COVID-19 and other infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Kloc
- The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA,
- Department of Surgery, The Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA,
- Department of Genetics, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas, USA,
| | - Rafik Mark Ghobrial
- The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Surgery, The Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jacek Z Kubiak
- Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (WIHE), Warsaw, Poland
- UnivRennes, UMR 6290, CNRS, Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, Cell Cycle Group, Faculty of Medicine, Rennes, France
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Eales JM, Maan AA, Xu X, Michoel T, Hallast P, Batini C, Zadik D, Prestes PR, Molina E, Denniff M, Schroeder J, Bjorkegren JLM, Thompson J, Maffia P, Guzik TJ, Keavney B, Jobling MA, Samani NJ, Charchar FJ, Tomaszewski M. Human Y Chromosome Exerts Pleiotropic Effects on Susceptibility to Atherosclerosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2019; 39:2386-2401. [PMID: 31644355 PMCID: PMC6818981 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.119.312405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) remains one of the most unexplored regions of the genome. We sought to examine how the genetic variants of the MSY influence male susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD) and atherosclerosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James M Eales
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom (J.M.E., A.A.M., X.X., B.K., M.T.)
| | - Akhlaq A Maan
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom (J.M.E., A.A.M., X.X., B.K., M.T.)
| | - Xiaoguang Xu
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom (J.M.E., A.A.M., X.X., B.K., M.T.)
| | - Tom Michoel
- The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (T.M.).,Computational Biology Unit and Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, Norway (T.M.)
| | - Pille Hallast
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Estonia (P.H.)
| | - Chiara Batini
- Department of Health Sciences (C.B., J.T.), University of Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Zadik
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology (D.Z., M.A.J.), University of Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Priscilla R Prestes
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria (P.R.P., E.M., F.J.C.)
| | - Elsa Molina
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria (P.R.P., E.M., F.J.C.)
| | - Matthew Denniff
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences (M.D., N.J.S., F.J.C.), University of Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Juliane Schroeder
- Centre for Immunobiology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (J.S., P.M.), College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.,Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences (J.S., P.M., T.J.G.), College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Johan L M Bjorkegren
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY (J.L.M.B.)
| | - John Thompson
- Department of Health Sciences (C.B., J.T.), University of Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Pasquale Maffia
- Centre for Immunobiology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (J.S., P.M.), College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.,Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences (J.S., P.M., T.J.G.), College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.,Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Italy (P.M.)
| | - Tomasz J Guzik
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences (J.S., P.M., T.J.G.), College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.,Jagiellonian University College of Medicine, Kraków, Poland (T.J.G.)
| | - Bernard Keavney
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom (J.M.E., A.A.M., X.X., B.K., M.T.).,Division of Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, United Kingdom (B.K., M.T.)
| | - Mark A Jobling
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology (D.Z., M.A.J.), University of Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Nilesh J Samani
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences (M.D., N.J.S., F.J.C.), University of Leicester, United Kingdom.,NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, United Kingdom (N.J.S.)
| | - Fadi J Charchar
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences (M.D., N.J.S., F.J.C.), University of Leicester, United Kingdom.,School of Health and Life Sciences, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria (P.R.P., E.M., F.J.C.).,Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (F.J.C.)
| | - Maciej Tomaszewski
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom (J.M.E., A.A.M., X.X., B.K., M.T.).,Division of Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, United Kingdom (B.K., M.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wang S, Cowley LA, Liu XS. Sex Differences in Cancer Immunotherapy Efficacy, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Strategy. Molecules 2019; 24:E3214. [PMID: 31487832 PMCID: PMC6767080 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24183214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in innate and adaptive immune responses are known, and women generally mount a stronger immune response than men. Cancer immunotherapy, represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has revolutionized the treatment of cancer, and sex differences in cancer immunotherapy are just starting to be revealed. Here, we summarize recent research progress concerning sex differences in cancer immunotherapy efficacy. On their own, ICIs tend to be more effective in male cancer patients compared with female patients, while ICIs combined with chemotherapy tend to be more effective in female patients than male patients. Male tumors are usually more antigenic than female tumors, and this is reflected by their increased number of tumor mutations and cancer germline antigens. The biomarker tumor mutational burden (TMB), which reflects tumor antigenicity, is more effective at predicting immunotherapy response for female lung cancer patients than for male patients. In this review, we propose different therapeutic strategies for the different sexes: For male cancer patients, the immune environment should be enhanced, whereas for female cancer patients, tumor antigenicity should be enhanced.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shixiang Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100864, China
| | - Li An Cowley
- St Hugh's College, The University of Oxford, Oxford 01865, UK
| | - Xue-Song Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201203, China.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Khramtsova EA, Davis LK, Stranger BE. The role of sex in the genomics of human complex traits. Nat Rev Genet 2019; 20:173-190. [PMID: 30581192 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-018-0083-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nearly all human complex traits and disease phenotypes exhibit some degree of sex differences, including differences in prevalence, age of onset, severity or disease progression. Until recently, the underlying genetic mechanisms of such sex differences have been largely unexplored. Advances in genomic technologies and analytical approaches are now enabling a deeper investigation into the effect of sex on human health traits. In this Review, we discuss recent insights into the genetic models and mechanisms that lead to sex differences in complex traits. This knowledge is critical for developing deeper insight into the fundamental biology of sex differences and disease processes, thus facilitating precision medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina A Khramtsova
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lea K Davis
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Barbara E Stranger
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. .,Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. .,Center for Data Intensive Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Flanagan KL, Fink AL, Plebanski M, Klein SL. Sex and Gender Differences in the Outcomes of Vaccination over the Life Course. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2018; 33:577-599. [PMID: 28992436 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100616-060718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 331] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Both sex (i.e., biological differences) and gender (i.e., social or cultural influences) impact vaccine acceptance, responses, and outcomes. Clinical data illustrate that among children, young adults, and aged individuals, males and females differ in vaccine-induced immune responses, adverse events, and protection. Although males are more likely to receive vaccines, following vaccination, females typically develop higher antibody responses and report more adverse effects of vaccination than do males. Human, nonhuman animal, and in vitro studies reveal numerous immunological, genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors that differ between males and females and contribute to sex- and gender-specific vaccine responses and outcomes. Herein, we address the impact of sex and gender variables that should be considered in preclinical and clinical studies of vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katie L Flanagan
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3800; ,
| | - Ashley L Fink
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205; ,
| | - Magdalena Plebanski
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3800; ,
| | - Sabra L Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205; ,
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
|
26
|
Ghosh S, Klein RS. Sex Drives Dimorphic Immune Responses to Viral Infections. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 198:1782-1790. [PMID: 28223406 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
New attention to sexual dimorphism in normal mammalian physiology and disease has uncovered a previously unappreciated breadth of mechanisms by which females and males differentially exhibit quantitative phenotypes. Thus, in addition to the established modifying effects of hormones, which prenatally and postpubertally pattern cells and tissues in a sexually dimorphic fashion, sex differences are caused by extragonadal and dosage effects of genes encoded on sex chromosomes. Sex differences in immune responses, especially during autoimmunity, have been studied predominantly within the context of sex hormone effects. More recently, immune response genes have been localized to sex chromosomes themselves or found to be regulated by sex chromosome genes. Thus, understanding how sex impacts immunity requires the elucidation of complex interactions among sex hormones, sex chromosomes, and immune response genes. In this Brief Review, we discuss current knowledge and new insights into these intricate relationships in the context of viral infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soumitra Ghosh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Robyn S Klein
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110; .,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110; and.,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Genetic variation in chromosome Y regulates susceptibility to influenza A virus infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:3491-3496. [PMID: 28242695 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620889114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Males of many species, ranging from humans to insects, are more susceptible than females to parasitic, fungal, bacterial, and viral infections. One mechanism that has been proposed to account for this difference is the immunocompetence handicap model, which posits that the greater infectious disease burden in males is due to testosterone, which drives the development of secondary male sex characteristics at the expense of suppressing immunity. However, emerging data suggest that cell-intrinsic (chromosome X and Y) sex-specific factors also may contribute to the sex differences in infectious disease burden. Using a murine model of influenza A virus (IAV) infection and a panel of chromosome Y (ChrY) consomic strains on the C57BL/6J background, we present data showing that genetic variation in ChrY influences IAV pathogenesis in males. Specific ChrY variants increase susceptibility to IAV in males and augment pathogenic immune responses in the lung, including activation of proinflammatory IL-17-producing γδ T cells, without affecting viral replication. In addition, susceptibility to IAV segregates independent of copy number variation in multicopy ChrY gene families that influence susceptibility to other immunopathological phenotypes, including survival after infection with coxsackievirus B3. These results demonstrate a critical role for genetic variation in ChrY in regulating susceptibility to infectious disease.
Collapse
|
28
|
Abstract
Males and females differ in their immunological responses to foreign and self-antigens and show distinctions in innate and adaptive immune responses. Certain immunological sex differences are present throughout life, whereas others are only apparent after puberty and before reproductive senescence, suggesting that both genes and hormones are involved. Furthermore, early environmental exposures influence the microbiome and have sex-dependent effects on immune function. Importantly, these sex-based immunological differences contribute to variations in the incidence of autoimmune diseases and malignancies, susceptibility to infectious diseases and responses to vaccines in males and females. Here, we discuss these differences and emphasize that sex is a biological variable that should be considered in immunological studies.
Collapse
|
29
|
Prokop JW, Deschepper CF. Chromosome Y genetic variants: impact in animal models and on human disease. Physiol Genomics 2015; 47:525-37. [PMID: 26286457 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00074.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome Y (chrY) variation has been associated with many complex diseases ranging from cancer to cardiovascular disorders. Functional roles of chrY genes outside of testes are suggested by the fact that they are broadly expressed in many other tissues and correspond to regulators of basic cellular functions (such as transcription, translation, and protein stability). However, the unique genetic properties of chrY (including the lack of meiotic crossover and the presence of numerous highly repetitive sequences) have made the identification of causal variants very difficult. Despite the prior lack of reliable sequences and/or data on genetic polymorphisms, earlier studies with animal chrY consomic strains have made it possible to narrow down the phenotypic contributions of chrY. Some of the evidence so far indicates that chrY gene variants associate with regulatory changes in the expression of other autosomal genes, in part via epigenetic effects. In humans, a limited number of studies have shown associations between chrY haplotypes and disease traits. However, recent sequencing efforts have made it possible to greatly increase the identification of genetic variants on chrY, which promises that future association of chrY with disease traits will be further refined. Continuing studies (both in humans and in animal models) will be critical to help explain the many sex-biased disease states in human that are contributed to not only by the classical sex steroid hormones, but also by chrY genetics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J W Prokop
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama; and
| | - C F Deschepper
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) and Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Case LK, Teuscher C. Y genetic variation and phenotypic diversity in health and disease. Biol Sex Differ 2015; 6:6. [PMID: 25866616 PMCID: PMC4392626 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-015-0024-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic traits arise through the combined effects of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on sex-biased gene expression, and experimental mouse models have been instrumental in determining their relative contribution in modulating sex differences. A role for the Y chromosome (ChrY) in mediating sex differences outside of development and reproduction has historically been overlooked due to its unusual genetic composition and the predominant testes-specific expression of ChrY-encoded genes. However, ample evidence now exists supporting ChrY as a mediator of other physiological traits in males, and genetic variation in ChrY has been linked to several diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases in experimental animal models, as well as humans. The genetic and molecular mechanisms by which ChrY modulates phenotypic variation in males remain unknown but may be a function of copy number variation between homologous X-Y multicopy genes driving differential gene expression. Here, we review the literature identifying an association between ChrY polymorphism and phenotypic variation and present the current evidence depicting the mammalian ChrY as a member of the regulatory genome in males and as a factor influencing paternal parent-of-origin effects in female offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laure K Case
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
| | - Cory Teuscher
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405 USA ; Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405 USA ; University of Vermont, Given Medical Building C317, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Furman D. Sexual dimorphism in immunity: improving our understanding of vaccine immune responses in men. Expert Rev Vaccines 2014; 14:461-71. [PMID: 25278153 DOI: 10.1586/14760584.2015.966694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Weaker immune responses are often observed in males compared to females. Since female hormones have proinflammatory properties and androgens have potent immunomodulatory effects, this sexual dimorphism in the immune response seems to be hormone dependent. Despite our current knowledge about the effect of sex hormones on immune cells, definition of the factors driving the sex differences in immunoclinical outcomes, such as the diminished response to infection and vaccination observed in men or the higher rates of autoimmunity observed in females, remains elusive. Recently, systems approaches to immune function have started to suggest a way toward establishing this connection. Such studies promise to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the sexual dimorphism observed in the human immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Furman
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University, 279 Campus Drive, B240 Beckman Center, Stanford, CA 94305-5124, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To review how autoimmunity is induced in viral myocarditis. RECENT FINDINGS Clinical and experimental myocarditis follows microbial infections, but autoimmunity to cardiac antigens leads to heart failure since infected myocytes are sparse and virus clearance is rapid. In mice, CD4+ T cells specific for cardiac alpha myosin heavy chain (αMYHC) cause myocarditis and mice tolerized to αMYHC are protected from virus challenge proving pathogenesis depends upon autoimmunity. Most importantly, multiple microbes share the same mimicking epitope with αMYHC. Serial infections with very different microbes could result in memory responses to the shared epitope leading to aggressive and severe heart failure. A similar phenomenon may explain autoimmune diseases with suspected infectious causes, where specific pathogens have not been identified. Production of the relevant cardiac epitope for antigen presentation requires more than myosin release from dead myocytes. Otherwise, myocarditis would commonly follow myocardial infarcts. The inherent nature of the innate immune response associated with viral infections in the heart is crucial to cardiac epitope expression. SUMMARY Antigenic mimicry between microbes and cardiac proteins causes autoimmunity in myocarditis. Characteristics of innate immunity associated with cardiac infection determine relevant epitope expression (cryptic epitopes).
Collapse
|
33
|
Sex-biased chromatin and regulatory cross-talk between sex chromosomes, autosomes, and mitochondria. Biol Sex Differ 2014; 5:2. [PMID: 24422881 PMCID: PMC3907150 DOI: 10.1186/2042-6410-5-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/29/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Several autoimmune and neurological diseases exhibit a sex bias, but discerning the causes and mechanisms of these biases has been challenging. Sex differences begin to manifest themselves in early embryonic development, and gonadal differentiation further bifurcates the male and female phenotypes. Even at this early stage, however, there is evidence that males and females respond to environmental stimuli differently, and the divergent phenotypic responses may have consequences later in life. The effect of prenatal nutrient restriction illustrates this point, as adult women exposed to prenatal restrictions exhibited increased risk factors of cardiovascular disease, while men exposed to the same condition did not. Recent research has examined the roles of sex-specific genes, hormones, chromosomes, and the interactions among them in mediating sex-biased phenotypes. Such research has identified testosterone, for example, as a possible protective agent against autoimmune disorders and an XX chromosome complement as a susceptibility factor in murine models of lupus and multiple sclerosis. Sex-biased chromatin is an additional and likely important component. Research suggesting a role for X and Y chromosome heterochromatin in regulating epigenetic states of autosomes has highlighted unorthodox mechanisms of gene regulation. The crosstalk between the Y chromosomes and autosomes may be further mediated by the mitochondria. The organelles have solely maternal transmission and exert differential effects on males and females. Altogether, research supports the notion that the interaction between sex-biased elements might exert novel regulatory functions in the genome and contribute to sex-specific susceptibilities to autoimmune and neurological diseases.
Collapse
|
34
|
Praktiknjo SD, Llamas B, Scott-Boyer MP, Picard S, Robert F, Langlais D, Haibe-Kains B, Faubert D, Silversides DW, Deschepper CF. Novel effects of chromosome Y on cardiac regulation, chromatin remodeling, and neonatal programming in male mice. Endocrinology 2013; 154:4746-56. [PMID: 24105479 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-1699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about the functions of chromosome Y (chrY) genes beyond their effects on sex and reproduction. In hearts, postpubertal testosterone affects the size of cells and the expression of genes differently in male C57BL/6J than in their C57.Y(A) counterparts, where the original chrY has been substituted with that from A/J mice. We further compared the 2 strains to better understand how chrY polymorphisms may affect cardiac properties, the latter being sexually dimorphic but unrelated to sex and reproduction. Genomic regions showing occupancy with androgen receptors (ARs) were identified in adult male hearts from both strains by chromatin immunoprecipitation. AR chromatin immunoprecipitation peaks (showing significant enrichment for consensus AR binding sites) were mostly strain specific. Measurements of anogenital distances in male pups showed that the biologic effects of perinatal androgens were greater in C57BL/6J than in C57.Y(A). Although perinatal endocrine manipulations showed that these differences contributed to the strain-specific differences in the response of adult cardiac cells to testosterone, the amounts of androgens produced by fetal testes were not different in each strain. Nonetheless, chrY polymorphisms associated in newborn pups' hearts with strain-specific differences in genomic regions showing either AR occupancy, accessible chromatin sites, or trimethylation of histone H3 Lysine 4 marks, as well as with differential expression of 2 chrY-encoded histone demethylases. In conclusion, the effects of chrY on adult cardiac phenotypes appeared to result from an interaction of this chromosome with the organizational programming effects exerted by the neonatal testosterone surge and show several characteristics of being mediated by an epigenetic remodeling of chromatin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha D Praktiknjo
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, 110 Pine Avenue West, Montréal, Québec, Canada H2W 1R7.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Case LK, Wall EH, Dragon JA, Saligrama N, Krementsov DN, Moussawi M, Zachary JF, Huber SA, Blankenhorn EP, Teuscher C. The Y chromosome as a regulatory element shaping immune cell transcriptomes and susceptibility to autoimmune disease. Genome Res 2013; 23:1474-85. [PMID: 23800453 PMCID: PMC3759723 DOI: 10.1101/gr.156703.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the DNA elements that constitute and control the regulatory genome is critical for the appropriate therapeutic management of complex diseases. Here, using chromosome Y (ChrY) consomic mouse strains on the C57BL/6J (B6) background, we show that susceptibility to two diverse animal models of autoimmune disease, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) and experimental myocarditis, correlates with the natural variation in copy number of Sly and Rbmy multicopy ChrY genes. On the B6 background, ChrY possesses gene regulatory properties that impact genome-wide gene expression in pathogenic CD4(+) T cells. Using a ChrY consomic strain on the SJL background, we discovered a preference for ChrY-mediated gene regulation in macrophages, the immune cell subset underlying the EAE sexual dimorphism in SJL mice, rather than CD4(+) T cells. Importantly, in both genetic backgrounds, an inverse correlation exists between the number of Sly and Rbmy ChrY gene copies and the number of significantly up-regulated genes in immune cells, thereby supporting a link between copy number variation of Sly and Rbmy with the ChrY genetic element exerting regulatory properties. Additionally, we show that ChrY polymorphism can determine the sexual dimorphism in EAE and myocarditis. In humans, an analysis of the CD4(+) T cell transcriptome from male multiple sclerosis patients versus healthy controls provides further evidence for an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of gene regulation by ChrY. Thus, as in Drosophila, these data establish the mammalian ChrY as a member of the regulatory genome due to its ability to epigenetically regulate genome-wide gene expression in immune cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Mohamad Moussawi
- Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA
| | - James F. Zachary
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
| | - Sally A. Huber
- Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA
| | - Elizabeth P. Blankenhorn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, USA
| | - Cory Teuscher
- Department of Medicine
- Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Overk CR, Perez SE, Ma C, Taves MD, Soma KK, Mufson EJ. Sex steroid levels and AD-like pathology in 3xTgAD mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:131-144. [PMID: 22889357 PMCID: PMC4065422 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2012.02374.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Revised: 08/03/2012] [Accepted: 08/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Decreases in testosterone and 17β-oestradiol (E(2)) are associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), which has been attributed to an increase in β-amyloid and tau pathological lesions. Although recent studies have used transgenic animal models to test the effects of sex steroid manipulations on AD-like pathology, almost none have systematically characterised the associations between AD lesions and sex steroid levels in the blood or brain in any mutant model. The present study evaluated age-related changes in testosterone and E(2) concentrations, as well as androgen receptor (AR) and oestrogen receptor (ER) α and β expression, in brain regions displaying AD pathology in intact male and female 3xTgAD and nontransgenic (ntg) mice. We report for the first time that circulating and brain testosterone levels significantly increase in male 3xTgAD mice with age, but without changes in AR-immunoreactive (IR) cell number in the hippocampal CA1 or medial amygdala. The age-related increase in hippocampal testosterone levels correlated positively with increases in the conformational tau isoform, Alz50. These data suggest that the over-expression of human tau up-regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in these mice. Although circulating and brain E(2) levels remained stable with age in both male and female 3xTgAD and ntg mice, ER-IR cell number in the hippocampus and medial amygdala decreased with age in female transgenic mice. Furthermore, E(2) levels were significantly higher in the hippocampus than in serum, suggesting local production of E(2). Although triple transgenic mice mimic AD-like pathology, they do not fully replicate changes in human sex steroid levels, and may not be the best model for studying the effects of sex steroids on AD lesions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cassia R. Overk
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL USA 60612
| | - Sylvia E. Perez
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL USA 60612
| | - Chunqi Ma
- Department of Psychology, Department of Zoology, and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Matthew D. Taves
- Department of Psychology, Department of Zoology, and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Kiran K. Soma
- Department of Psychology, Department of Zoology, and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Elliott J. Mufson
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL USA 60612
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
DeWitte SN. Sex differences in periodontal disease in catastrophic and attritional assemblages from medieval london. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 149:405-16. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
38
|
Nadeau JH, Forejt J, Takada T, Shiroishi T. Chromosome substitution strains: gene discovery, functional analysis, and systems studies. Mamm Genome 2012; 23:693-705. [PMID: 22961226 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-012-9426-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2012] [Accepted: 08/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Laboratory mice are valuable in biomedical research in part because of the extraordinary diversity of genetic resources that are available for studies of complex genetic traits and as models for human biology and disease. Chromosome substitution strains (CSSs) are important in this resource portfolio because of their demonstrated use for gene discovery, genetic and epigenetic studies, functional characterizations, and systems analysis. CSSs are made by replacing a single chromosome in a host strain with the corresponding chromosome from a donor strain. A complete CSS panel involves a total of 22 engineered inbred strains, one for each of the 19 autosomes, one each for the X and Y chromosomes, and one for mitochondria. A genome survey simply involves comparing each phenotype for each of the CSSs with the phenotypes of the host strain. The CSS panels that are available for laboratory mice have been used to dissect a remarkable variety of phenotypes and to characterize an impressive array of disease models. These surveys have revealed considerable phenotypic diversity even among closely related progenitor strains, evidence for strong epistasis and for heritable epigenetic changes. Perhaps most importantly, and presumably because of their unique genetic constitution, CSSs, and congenic strains derived from them, the genetic variants underlying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are readily identified and functionally characterized. Together these studies show that CSSs are important resource for laboratory mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Nadeau
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, 720 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Case LK, Huber SA, Teuscher C. Inheritance of coronary artery disease in men. Lancet 2012; 379:2424-2425. [PMID: 22748582 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61060-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laure K Case
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Sally A Huber
- Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Cory Teuscher
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA; Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|