Reddy Karosham Diren, Oliver Brian Gregory George
Respiratory and Cellular Molecular Biology Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, 2037, Australia.
School of Life Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
Cell Biosci. 2023 Mar 7;13(1):47. doi: 10.1186/s13578-023-00998-5.
Sex differences in susceptibility, severity, and progression are prevalent for various diseases in multiple organ systems. This phenomenon is particularly apparent in respiratory diseases. Asthma demonstrates an age-dependent pattern of sexual dimorphism. However, marked differences between males and females exist in other pervasive conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. The sex hormones estrogen and testosterone are commonly considered the primary factors causing sexual dimorphism in disease. However, how they contribute to differences in disease onset between males and females remains undefined. The sex chromosomes are an under-investigated fundamental form of sexual dimorphism. Recent studies highlight key X and Y-chromosome-linked genes that regulate vital cell processes and can contribute to disease-relevant mechanisms. This review summarises patterns of sex differences in asthma, COPD and lung cancer, highlighting physiological mechanisms causing the observed dimorphism. We also describe the role of the sex hormones and present candidate genes on the sex chromosomes as potential factors contributing to sexual dimorphism in disease.
在多个器官系统的各种疾病中，易感性、严重程度和进展方面的性别差异普遍存在。这种现象在呼吸系统疾病中尤为明显。哮喘表现出年龄依赖性的性别二态性模式。然而，在其他常见疾病如慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）和肺癌中，男性和女性之间也存在显著差异。性激素雌激素和睾酮通常被认为是导致疾病中性别二态性的主要因素。然而，它们如何导致男性和女性疾病发病差异仍不明确。性染色体是一种研究不足的性别二态性基本形式。最近的研究突出了关键的X和Y染色体连锁基因，这些基因调节重要的细胞过程，并可能促成与疾病相关的机制。本综述总结了哮喘、COPD和肺癌中的性别差异模式，强调了导致观察到的二态性的生理机制。我们还描述了性激素的作用，并提出性染色体上的候选基因作为导致疾病中性别二态性的潜在因素。
