title: Sex steroids, immune system, and parasitic infections: facts and hypotheses.
abstract: It has been widely reported that the incidence and the severity of natural parasitic infections are different between males and females of several species, including humans. This sexual dimorphism involves a distinct exposure of males and females to various parasite infective stages, differential effects of sex steroids on immune cells, and direct effects of these steroids on parasites, among others. Typically, for a large number of parasitic diseases, the prevalence and intensity is higher in males than females; however, in several parasitic infections, males are more resistant than females. In the present work, we review the effects of sex hormones on immunity to protozoa and helminth parasites, which are the causal agents of several diseases in humans, and discuss the most recent research related to the role of sex steroids in the complex host-parasite relationship.
authors: Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Nava-Castro
authors: Romel
authors: R
authors: Hernández-Bello
authors: Saé
authors: S
authors: Muñiz-Hernández
authors: Ignacio
authors: I
authors: Camacho-Arroyo
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Morales-Montor
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000276:immunology*; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones