Trigunaite Abhishek, Dimo Joana, Jørgensen Trine N
Department of Immunology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH, USA.
Cell Immunol. 2015 Apr;294(2):87-94. doi: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2015.02.004. Epub 2015 Feb 14.
Sex-based disparities in immune responses are well known phenomena. The two most important factors accounting for the sex-bias in immunity are genetics and sex hormones. Effects of female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone are well established, however the role of testosterone is not completely understood. Evidence from unrelated studies points to an immunosuppressive role of testosterone on different components of the immune system, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remains unknown. In this review we evaluate the effect of testosterone on key cellular components of innate and adaptive immunity. Specifically, we highlight the importance of testosterone in down-regulating the systemic immune response by cell type specific effects in the context of immunological disorders. Further studies are required to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of testosterone-induced immunosuppression, leading the way to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for immune disorders.
免疫反应中的性别差异是众所周知的现象。导致免疫性别偏差的两个最重要因素是遗传学和性激素。雌性激素（雌激素和孕激素）的作用已得到充分证实，然而睾酮的作用尚未完全明确。来自不相关研究的证据表明，睾酮对免疫系统的不同组成部分具有免疫抑制作用，但其潜在的分子机制仍然未知。在本综述中，我们评估了睾酮对先天性和适应性免疫关键细胞成分的影响。具体而言，我们强调了睾酮在免疫紊乱背景下通过细胞类型特异性作用下调全身免疫反应的重要性。需要进一步研究以阐明睾酮诱导免疫抑制的分子机制，为免疫紊乱的新型治疗靶点的识别指明方向。
