title: Sex hormones and HCV: an unresolved mystery.
abstract: The biological differences between males and females advocate the ultimate need for gender-specific medicine. The variation in response to viral infection as well as therapy among different genders makes it very intriguing to reveal the responsible factors for causing this discrepancy. HCV is one of the most noxious infectious diseases, however the impact of gender on the response to HCV has received negligible attention in the literature. The controversial studies concerning the effect of gender on the outcome of interferon-based therapy urge a need to judge the gender discrepancy in host factors responsible for both interferon release and action. The main aim of this review is to disentangle the interplay between sex hormones and several viral and host factors responsible for viral clearance in an attempt to clarify the role of gender in modulating the response to HCV as well as interferon-based therapy.
authors.affiliation: The Molecular Pathology Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, New Cairo City, Main Entrance Al Tagamoa Al Khames 11835, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Radwa Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Mekky
authors.forename: Ahmed I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Abdelaziz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D007372:Interferons