Severe outcomes and death from the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appear to be characterized by an exaggerated immune response with hypercytokinemia leading to inflammatory infiltration of the lungs and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes is consistently lower in women than men worldwide, suggesting that female biological sex is instrumental in protection. This mini-review discusses the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory actions of high physiological concentrations of the steroids 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4). We review how E2 and P4 favor a state of decreased innate immune inflammatory response while enhancing immune tolerance and antibody production. We discuss how the combination of E2 and P4 may improve the immune dysregulation that leads to the COVID-19 cytokine storm. It is intended to stimulate novel consideration of the biological forces that are protective in women compared to men, and to therapeutically harness these factors to mitigate COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7438701 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/endocr/bqaa127 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Introduction: Dozens of vaccines have been approved or authorized internationally in response to the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, covering a range of modalities and routes of delivery. For example, mucosal delivery of vaccines via the intranasal (i.n.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProteomic profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells reveals immune dysregulation and metabolic alterations in kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19.
Front Immunol
December 2024
Division of Infectious Diseases, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global health, especially in vulnerable populations like kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Recently, mass spectrometry-based proteomics has emerged as a powerful tool to shed light on a broad spectrum of dysregulated biological processes in KTRs with COVID-19. In this study, we prospectively collected blood samples from 17 COVID-19-positive KTRs and 10 non-infected KTRs between May and September 2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmergence of coinfection with visceral Leishmania infantum in COVID-19 patients: a case‒control field study in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis in Iran.
BMC Infect Dis
December 2024
Zoonoses Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.
Background: COVID-19 is a pandemic involving coinfection with other opportunistic microorganisms, including parasites such as Leishmania infantum. The present study aimed to determine the frequency of L. infantum infection and its role in disease and mortality among symptomatic COVID-19 patients in comparison with the non-COVID-19 control group in the endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Iran.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDetermination of Oxidative Stress and Copeptin Levels of COVID-19 According to the Clinical Course.
Microb Pathog
December 2024
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye. Electronic address:
Objective: COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is characterized by hyperinflammation, which can trigger oxidative stress. At the same time, COVID-19 is accompanied by both psychological and physical stress. Copeptin, a novel stress marker, has been shown to predict disease outcomes in stress-induced diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Recent Increase in Invasive Bacterial Infections: A Report From the National COVID Cohort Collaborative.
Pediatr Infect Dis J
October 2024
From the Section of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
Background: When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mitigation efforts waned, viral respiratory infections (VRIs) surged, potentially increasing the risk of postviral invasive bacterial infections (IBIs). We sought to evaluate the change in epidemiology and relationships between specific VRIs and IBIs [complicated pneumonia, complicated sinusitis and invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS)] over time using the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) dataset.
Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of all prospectively collected pediatric (<19 years old) and adult encounters at 58 N3C institutions, stratified by era: pre-pandemic (January 1, 2018, to February 28, 2020) versus pandemic (March 1, 2020, to June 1, 2023).
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!