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Salis F, Sardo S, Finco G, Gessa GL, Franconi F, Agabio R. Sex-Gender Differences Are Completely Neglected in Treatments for Neuropathic Pain. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:838. [PMID: 39065689 PMCID: PMC11280170 DOI: 10.3390/ph17070838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
As sex-gender differences have been described in the responses of patients to certain medications, we hypothesized that the responses to medications recommended for neuropathic pain may differ between men and women. We conducted a literature review to identify articles reporting potential sex-gender differences in the efficacy and safety of these medications. Only a limited number of studies investigated potential sex-gender differences. Our results show that women seem to achieve higher blood concentrations than men during treatment with amitriptyline, nortriptyline, duloxetine, venlafaxine, and pregabalin. Compared to men, higher rates of women develop side effects during treatment with gabapentin, lidocaine, and tramadol. Globally, the sex-gender differences would suggest initially administering smaller doses of these medications to women with neuropathic pain compared to those administered to men. However, most of these differences have been revealed by studies focused on the treatment of other diseases (e.g., depression). Studies focused on neuropathic pain have overlooked potential sex-gender differences in patient responses to medications. Despite the fact that up to 60% of patients with neuropathic pain fail to achieve an adequate response to medications, the potential role of sex-gender differences in the efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy has not adequately been investigated. Targeted studies should be implemented to facilitate personalized treatments for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Salis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; (S.S.); (G.F.)
| | - Salvatore Sardo
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; (S.S.); (G.F.)
| | - Gabriele Finco
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; (S.S.); (G.F.)
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy;
| | - Flavia Franconi
- Laboratory of Sex-Gender Medicine, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, 07100 Sassari, SAR, Italy;
| | - Roberta Agabio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
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Campesi I, Franconi F, Serra PA. The Appropriateness of Medical Devices Is Strongly Influenced by Sex and Gender. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:234. [PMID: 38398743 PMCID: PMC10890141 DOI: 10.3390/life14020234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Until now, research has been performed mainly in men, with a low recruitment of women; consequentially, biological, physiological, and physio-pathological mechanisms are less understood in women. Obviously, without data obtained on women, it is impossible to apply the results of research appropriately to women. This issue also applies to medical devices (MDs), and numerous problems linked to scarce pre-market research and clinical trials on MDs were evidenced after their introduction to the market. Globally, some MDs are less efficient in women than in men and sometimes MDs are less safe for women than men, although recently there has been a small but significant decrease in the sex and gender gap. As an example, cardiac resynchronization defibrillators seem to produce more beneficial effects in women than in men. It is also important to remember that MDs can impact the health of healthcare providers and this could occur in a sex- and gender-dependent manner. Recently, MDs' complexity is rising, and to ensure their appropriate use they must have a sex-gender-sensitive approach. Unfortunately, the majority of physicians, healthcare providers, and developers of MDs still believe that the human population is only constituted by men. Therefore, to overcome the gender gap, a real collaboration between the inventors of MDs, health researchers, and health providers should be established to test MDs in female and male tissues, animals, and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Campesi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
- Laboratorio Nazionale sulla Farmacologia e Medicina di Genere, Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture Biosistemi, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
| | - Flavia Franconi
- Laboratorio Nazionale sulla Farmacologia e Medicina di Genere, Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture Biosistemi, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
| | - Pier Andrea Serra
- Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
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Pasin C, Consiglio CR, Huisman J, de Lange AMG, Peckham H, Vallejo-Yagüe E, Abela IA, Islander U, Neuner-Jehle N, Pujantell M, Roth O, Schirmer M, Tepekule B, Zeeb M, Hachfeld A, Aebi-Popp K, Kouyos RD, Bonhoeffer S. Sex and gender in infection and immunity: addressing the bottlenecks from basic science to public health and clinical applications. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221628. [PMID: 37416827 PMCID: PMC10320357 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Although sex and gender are recognized as major determinants of health and immunity, their role is rarely considered in clinical practice and public health. We identified six bottlenecks preventing the inclusion of sex and gender considerations from basic science to clinical practice, precision medicine and public health policies. (i) A terminology-related bottleneck, linked to the definitions of sex and gender themselves, and the lack of consensus on how to evaluate gender. (ii) A data-related bottleneck, due to gaps in sex-disaggregated data, data on trans/non-binary people and gender identity. (iii) A translational bottleneck, limited by animal models and the underrepresentation of gender minorities in biomedical studies. (iv) A statistical bottleneck, with inappropriate statistical analyses and results interpretation. (v) An ethical bottleneck posed by the underrepresentation of pregnant people and gender minorities in clinical studies. (vi) A structural bottleneck, as systemic bias and discriminations affect not only academic research but also decision makers. We specify guidelines for researchers, scientific journals, funding agencies and academic institutions to address these bottlenecks. Following such guidelines will support the development of more efficient and equitable care strategies for all.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Pasin
- Collegium Helveticum, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Camila R. Consiglio
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jana S. Huisman
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Physics of Living Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ann-Marie G. de Lange
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Hannah Peckham
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH and GOSH, London WC1E 6JF, UK
| | | | - Irene A. Abela
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ulrika Islander
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- SciLifeLab, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nadia Neuner-Jehle
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Pujantell
- Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Virology, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Melanie Schirmer
- Emmy Noether Group for Computational Microbiome Research, ZIEL – Institute for Food and Health, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Burcu Tepekule
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marius Zeeb
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Hachfeld
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital and University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Karoline Aebi-Popp
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital and University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lindenhofspital, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roger D. Kouyos
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Bonhoeffer
- Collegium Helveticum, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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Campisi G, Buttacavoli F, Attanasio M, Milioto M, Radosti S, Amato S, Panzarella V. Gender and Sex in Medical Practice: An Exploratory Study on Knowledge, Behavior, and Attitude among Sicilian Physicians. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:827. [PMID: 36613149 PMCID: PMC9819832 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Personalized medicine is a new paradigm in health care, and the concept of socio-cultural gender, as opposed to biological sex, emerged in several medical approaches. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the knowledge of sex and gender in clinical medicine among Sicilian physicians. Data collection was based on an online survey sent to the members of the Medical Councils of Sicily (Italy). The questionnaire included nine specific items about awareness and attitudes regarding gender medicine and its importance in clinical practice. 8023 Sicilian physicians received the solicitation e-mail and only 496 responded. Regarding the knowledge of gender medicine, 71.1% of participants stated that they know it, while 88.5% believe that gender medicine should be included in training programs. Similarly, a high percentage (77.6%) would like to keep up to date on this topic. Physicians sampled seem to understand the importance of gender medicine principles, although their experience of some gender issues (i.e., sex disparities in acute cardiovascular care and smoking cessation strategies) is low (55.44% and 21.57%, respectively). The results of this exploratory study should encourage facing the gender medicine gap in the current curricula of health professionals and should implement the transitional value of sex and gender principles in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Campisi
- University Hospital of Palermo, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
- Medical Council of Palermo, Gender Medicine Board, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Fortunato Buttacavoli
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences (Di.Chir.On.S.), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Massimo Attanasio
- Department of Economic, Business and Statistic Sciences (SEAS), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirella Milioto
- Medical Council of Palermo, Gender Medicine Board, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Silvia Radosti
- Medical Council of Palermo, Gender Medicine Board, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Amato
- Medical Council of Palermo, Gender Medicine Board, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vera Panzarella
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences (Di.Chir.On.S.), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
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Campesi I, Ruoppolo M, Franconi F, Caterino M, Costanzo M. Sex-Gender-Based Differences in Metabolic Diseases. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2023; 282:241-257. [PMID: 37528324 DOI: 10.1007/164_2023_683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism creates different biological and cellular activities and selective regulation mechanisms in males and females, thus generating differential responses in health and disease. In this scenario, the sex itself is a source of physiologic metabolic disparities that depend on constitutive genetic and epigenetic features that characterize in a specific manner one sex or the other. This has as a direct consequence a huge impact on the metabolic routes that drive the phenotype of an individual. The impact of sex is being clearly recognized also in disease, whereas male and females are more prone to the development of some disorders, or have selective responses to drugs and therapeutic treatments. Actually, very less is known regarding the probable differences guided by sex in the context of inherited metabolic disorders, owing to the scarce consideration of sex in such restricted field, accompanied by an intrinsic bias connected with the rarity of such diseases. Metabolomics technologies have been ultimately developed and adopted for being excellent tools for the investigation of metabolic mechanisms, for marker discovery or monitoring, and for supporting diagnostic procedures of metabolic disorders. Hence, metabolomic approaches can excellently embrace the discovery of sex differences, especially when associated to the outcome or the management of certain inborn errors of the metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Campesi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- Laboratory of Sex-Gender Medicine, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Sassari, Italy
| | - Margherita Ruoppolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.ar.l., Naples, Italy
| | - Flavia Franconi
- Laboratory of Sex-Gender Medicine, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Sassari, Italy
| | - Marianna Caterino
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.ar.l., Naples, Italy
| | - Michele Costanzo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
- CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.ar.l., Naples, Italy.
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Sex Differences in X-ray-Induced Endothelial Damage: Effect of Taurine and N-Acetylcysteine. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 12:antiox12010077. [PMID: 36670939 PMCID: PMC9854489 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12010077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) can induce some associated pathological conditions due to numerous cell damages. The influence of sex is scarcely known, and even less known is whether the effect of antioxidants is sex-dependent. Given the increased use of IR, we investigated whether male human umbilical vein endothelial cells (MHUVECs) and female human umbilical vein endothelial cells (FHUVECs) respond differently to IR exposure and whether the antioxidants 10 mM taurine (TAU) and 5 mM N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can prevent IR-induced damage in a sex-dependent way. In untreated cells, sex differences were observed only during autophagy, which was higher in FHUVECs. In non-irradiated cells, preincubation with TAU and NAC did not modify viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, migration, or autophagy, whereas only NAC increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in FHUVECs. X-ray irradiation increased LDH release and reduced viability and migration in a sex-independent manner. TAU and NAC did not affect viability while reduced LDH release in irradiated cells: they have the same protective effect in FHUVECs, while, TAU was more protective than NAC in male cells.. Moreover, TAU and NAC significantly promoted the closure of wounds in both sexes in irradiated cells, but NAC was more effective at doing this in FHUVECs. In irradiated cells, TAU did not change autophagy, while NAC attenuated the differences between the sexes. Finally, NAC significantly decreased MDA in MHUVECs and increased MDA in FHUVECs. In conclusion, FHUVECs appear to be more susceptible to IR damage, and the effects of the two antioxidants present some sex differences, suggesting the need to study the influence of sex in radiation mitigators.
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Campesi I, Montella A, Sotgiu G, Saderi L, Tonolo G, Seghieri G, Franconi F. Smoking and combined oral contraceptives should be considered as an independent variable in sex and gender-oriented studies. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2022; 457:116321. [PMID: 36423693 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.116321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The influence of sex combined with smoking and combined oral contraceptives (COC) use on atherogenic indexes is scarcely studied. Thus, traditional lipid parameters were measured, and non-traditional atherogenic indexes were calculated in a young and healthy population of men, COC-free women, and COC users. Total cholesterol (TChol), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and HDL/LDL ratio were lower in men, while triglycerides (TG)/HDL ratio, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), Castelli's Risk Index I (CRII) and CRI-II, atherogenic coefficient (AC), creatinine, creatinine clearance, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were higher in men. The use of COC modified TChol, HDL, TG, TG/HDL, and AIP which had significantly higher values in COC users. In addition, TG were also increased in COC users in comparison with men. Smoking reduced sexually divergent parameters: BMI, TG, HDL/LDL, TG/HDL, AIP, CRII, CRI-II, and AC became similar among the three cohorts, losing the reported sex differences. Smoking also reduced differences in TChol, HDL, TG, and AIP between COC-free women and COC users, but it does not affect CRII, CRI-II, creatinine, creatinine clearance, and eGFR, underlining that COC users and COC-free women have to be considered two different populations. Our results represent a complex landscape suggesting that for both sexes smoking should be an independent variable in medical studies. Moreover, in women, the use of COC evidenced two different cohorts. Thus, more variables should be considered during a single study indicating that sex, smoking, and COC should be studied together to get a picture of the real-life context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Campesi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università Degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; Laboratorio Nazionale di Farmacologia e Medicina di Genere, Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture Biosistemi, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Andrea Montella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università Degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; Unità Operativa di Genetica e Biologia Dello Sviluppo, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sotgiu
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Chirurgiche e Sperimentali, Università Degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Laura Saderi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Chirurgiche e Sperimentali, Università Degli Studi di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Tonolo
- S.C. Diabetologia, P.O. San Giovanni di Dio, ASSL Olbia-ATS Sardegna, 07026 Olbia, Italy
| | | | - Flavia Franconi
- Laboratorio Nazionale di Farmacologia e Medicina di Genere, Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture Biosistemi, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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Sex Differences in Oxycodone/Naloxone vs. Tapentadol in Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: An Observational Real-World Study. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10102468. [PMID: 36289731 PMCID: PMC9598624 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the large body of research on sex differences in pain, there is a lack of translation to real-world pain management. Our aim was to analyse the sex differences in the analgesic response to oxycodone/naloxone (OXN) and tapentadol (TAP), in comparison with other opioids (OPO) commonly prescribed for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). An observational and cross-sectional study was conducted on ambulatory CNCP patients (n = 571). Sociodemographic, clinical (pain intensity, relief, and quality of life), safety (adverse events (AEs), adverse drug reactions), hospital frequentations and pharmacological (morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD)) variables were collected. Multiple linear regressions were carried out to assess the association between sex and outcomes. Sex differences were observed, with lower female tolerability and higher hospital frequentation, especially in the OXN group (OR AEs report = 2.8 [1.8−4.4], p < 0.001). Here, females showed higher hospital use (23% hospital admission, 30% prescription change, p < 0.05), requiring a higher MEDD (127 ± 103 mg/day, p < 0.05), compared to OXN men. Regardless of the opioid group, CNCP women were significantly older than men (three years), with significantly higher benzodiazepine use (OR = 1.6 [1.1−2.3]), more constipation (OR = 1.34 [0.93−1.90]) and headache (OR = 1.45 [0.99−2.13]) AEs, than men who were more likely to refer sexual dysfunction (OR = 2.77 [1.53−5.01]), and loss of libido (OR = 1.93 [1.22−3.04]). Sex-differences were found related to poorer female drug tolerability and higher hospital resources, even worst in OXN female users. Other differences related to older female ages and benzodiazepine prescription, need to be further analysed from a gender perspective.
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Costanzo M, Caterino M, Sotgiu G, Ruoppolo M, Franconi F, Campesi I. Sex differences in the human metabolome. Biol Sex Differ 2022; 13:30. [PMID: 35706042 PMCID: PMC9199320 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-022-00440-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The sexual dimorphism represents one of the triggers of the metabolic disparities between the organisms, advising about wild implications in research or diagnostics contexts. Despite the mounting recognition of the importance of sex consideration in the biomedical fields, the identification of male- and female-specific metabolic signatures has not been achieved. MAIN BODY This review pointed the focus on the metabolic differences related to the sex, evidenced by metabolomics studies performed on healthy populations, with the leading aim of understanding how the sex influences the baseline metabolome. The main shared signatures and the apparent dissimilarities between males and females were extracted and highlighted from the metabolome of the most commonly analyzed biological fluids, such as serum, plasma, and urine. Furthermore, the influence of age and the significant interactions between sex and age have been taken into account. CONCLUSIONS The recognition of sex patterns in human metabolomics has been defined in diverse biofluids. The detection of sex- and age-related differences in the metabolome of healthy individuals are helpful for translational applications from the bench to the bedside to set targeted diagnostic and prevention approaches in the context of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Costanzo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy. .,CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.ar.l., 80145, Naples, Italy.
| | - Marianna Caterino
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy.,CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.ar.l., 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sotgiu
- Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Margherita Ruoppolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy.,CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.ar.l., 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Flavia Franconi
- Laboratory of Sex-Gender Medicine, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Ilaria Campesi
- Laboratory of Sex-Gender Medicine, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, 07100, Sassari, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy
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An Observational Cross-Sectional Study of Gender and Disability as Determinants of Person-Centered Medicine in Botulinum Neurotoxin Treatment of Upper Motoneuron Syndrome. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14040246. [PMID: 35448855 PMCID: PMC9024520 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14040246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The motor behaviour of patients with Upper Motor Neuron Syndrome (UMNS) is characterised by spasticity. The first-line treatment for this clinical condition is Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNTA), but the number and key locations of muscles which need to be treated is not much discussed in the literature. Cross-sectional analysis of outpatient cohort with UMNS spasticity, who were potential candidates for BoNTA treatment, was performed. Between November 2020 and November 2021, all consecutive adult patients eligible for BoNTA treatment were enrolled. The inclusion criteria encompass UMNS spasticity (onset being ≥6 months), with disabling muscles hypertonia. Patients underwent a clinical evaluation, a comprehensive assessment with the Modified Ashworth Scale, with the Modified Rankin Scale, and a patients’ perception-centred questionnaire. In total, 68 participants were enrolled in the study, among them 40 (58.8%) were male; mean age 57.9 ± 15.1. In women, BoNTA was more frequently required for adductor group muscles, independently from potential confounders (OR = 7.03, 95%CI: 1.90–25.97). According to the pattern of disability, patients with hemiparesis more frequently need to be treated in the upper limb, whereas the diplegia/double-hemiparesis group needed to be treated more frequently at the adductor and crux muscles compared to their counterparts. UMNS spasticity in women could require more attention to be paid to the treatment of adductor muscle spasticity, potentially because the dysfunction of those muscles could influence sphincteric management, required for perineal hygiene and/or sexual life.
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