Women have a higher percentage of basic immunocytes between adolescence and menopause, which can be linked to the estrogen of sex hormone and explain why they are less sensitive to some infectious diseases than men, according to a new study by researchers.
The study, published in Newspaper of experimental medicineIt is one of the first to explore how sexual chromosomes and sex hormones are combined to influence the immune system of healthy people in a wide range of ages and sex profiles.
Explaining the importance of the document, Dr. Elizabeth Rosser, a senior author of the study by the UCL Medical Department and at the UCL Teenage Center, said: “Gender and sex are often overlooked in medical studies, despite evidence that many females are usually” stronger ” Men, while also at greater risk of developing Automane such as Lupus and Lupus such as Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis.
“Primary sex hormones – estrogen in females and testosterone in men – are believed to play a role in these differences, as well as sexual chromosomes (XX in people who have been born at birth and XY in people registered at birth).
“However, very little is known about how the results of immune health can change during adolescence or menopause or for transsexuals receiving hormones confirming sex or adolescence.”
In order to examine how hormones and biological sex affect the production of 31 different cell types of immune cells, the group analyzed blood samples of 283 people between six and 84 years.
Of these, 203 were female cisgender and male cisgender, including women after menopause treated with hormone replacement (HRT). Samples of 80 female transsexuals and males who received hormone treatments that suppress adolescence were also analyzed.
The results showed that female Cisgender (XX chromosomal background) have higher levels of special white blood cells, known as B cells that have been converted in the classroom than male cisgender (XY chromosomal background).
B cells B, which are a major component of the immune system, have undergone a process known as a “change of class” that makes them extremely effective in combating the infections that the body has encountered before. But these “specially trained” B cells can also lead to more severe symptoms if the person has an autoimmune disorder, where a person’s immune system attacks his or her own healthy tissues.
Basically, the researchers found that these sex differences were observed only among people who had completed adolescence, but not yet (in the case of female cisgender) passed through menopause. Along with the fact that B cells have estrogen receptors, this finding suggests that estrogen, which is at much lower levels in females before adolescence and after menopause, may be associated with increasing B cell B cells.
Professor Coziana Ciurtin, the main researcher of the study by the UCL Medical Department and the UCL Teenage Center in UCL, said: “Our study has identified some evidence that estrogen plays an important role in the abundance of biological cells, disorders and add to the increasing evidence that gender and sex are critical factors that need to be taken into account in immune studies. “
The authors say that despite the differences in B cells that have changed the classroom observed in the various groups, it is not possible to conclude that these differences are “good” or “bad” in terms of overall health. While Cisgender females have better protection against infectious diseases such as Covid-19 and hepatitis B, this is balanced by being more sensitive to autoimmune situations such as wolf. For groups whose B cell populations look more like those in male cisgender, the opposite could be true. It would need future research to deal with this event.
The group found that in transsexual male (XX chromosomal background) that were treated to prevent estrogen production, the levels of B cells that have been converted in the class were significantly reduced compared to female cisgender of the same age. These levels were comparable to those observed in male cisgender.
However, when samples of female transsexuals (XY chromosomal backgrounds) received estrogen to confirm their gender, the levels of B cells turned into the classroom were comparable to those observed in male cisgender.
The X chromosome carries numerous genes that are important for human immunomodials, so it was crucial to determine whether the effects of estrogen would be the same on female cisgender and transsexual male with two X chromosomes, against male cisgender and cisgenders.
This data from our center show that sex hormones and chromosomes work in parallel to affect immunocompromises, with estrogen only affecting the frequency of B cell cells that has been converted into classrooms in people with chromosomal backgrounds.
Professor Lucy Wedderburn from UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and director of the Center for Teenage Rheumatology at UCL
In samples from females 40-60 years old Cisgender, estrogen was associated with a significant increase in B cell B cells that have been converted into the class. This further suggests that estrogen is only linked to this increase in people with two copies of chromosome X.
The authors say research emphasizes the need for further high quality, long -term studies to examine the impact of hormonal therapy on infection and the risk of autoimmune on a series of chromosomal backgrounds and stages of life.
Dr. Hannah Peckham, the first author of the study by the UCl Division of Medicine, UCl Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and declared the UCL teenage center. “Our study shows that improvements in diversity practices and integration in medical research will not only promote our scientific understanding of sexual bias in the results of diseases, but may shed light on new strategies for personal health care and health care strategies.
The study was funded by Versus Arthritis, the Great Ormond Street Charity Foundation, the Bart Charity, the Nihr UCLH Biomedical Research Center and the Nihr Biomedical Research Center Street.
Source:
Magazine report:
Peckham, H., et al. (2025). Estrogen affects the frequency of B cell cells with the transfer of order only to people with two chromosomes X. The Magazine of Experimental Medicine. doi.org/10.1084/jem.20241253.
