Lizarazo-Taborda Mélida Del Rosario, Vega-Magaña Natali, Díaz-Palomera Carlos Daniel, Villegas-Pineda Julio César, Godínez-Rubí Marisol, Bayardo-González Rubén Alberto, Ramírez-de-Arellano Adrián, Pereira-Suárez Ana Laura
Maestría en Microbiología Médica, Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Laboratorio de Investigación en Cáncer e Infecciones, Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Front Public Health. 2025 Apr 28;13:1554024. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1554024. eCollection 2025.
The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a significant impact on older individuals, those with comorbidities, and a bias toward males. Mortality, associated with an exacerbated immune response by proinflammatory cytokines, suggests potential hormonal influences in this scenario. The objective of this research was to analyze the expression of Estrogen Receptor (ERα), Estrogen Receptor (ERβ), G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor (GPER), and the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, as well as their relationship with the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 and serum cytokine levels in three demographic groups of unvaccinated individuals diagnosed with COVID-19: premenopausal women, postmenopausal women, and men. The presence and expression of ERα, ERβ, and GPER, along with the ACE2 receptor, were analyzed by immunofluorescence assays in cells obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs of individuals with confirmed COVID-19 through RT-qPCR testing. Additionally, serum cytokine levels were evaluated using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. The results highlighted notable disparities in the expression of ERα and ACE2, as well as a higher expression of IL-8 and MIP-1β in the premenopausal women group compared to postmenopausal women and men. These findings suggest that in premenopausal women with COVID-19, the elevated expression of ERα and ACE2 could play a protective role, strengthening the antiviral immune response. The importance of exploring the complex hormonal and molecular influences in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 is emphasized, underscoring the need for additional research to better understand the factors determining severity and immune response in different demographic groups.
2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行对老年人、患有合并症的人以及男性存在明显影响。死亡率与促炎细胞因子加剧的免疫反应相关，这表明在这种情况下可能存在激素影响。本研究的目的是分析雌激素受体（ERα）、雌激素受体（ERβ）、G蛋白偶联雌激素受体（GPER）和血管紧张素转换酶2（ACE2）受体的表达，以及它们与三组未接种疫苗且确诊为COVID-19的人群（绝经前女性、绝经后女性和男性）中严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）病毒载量和血清细胞因子水平的关系。通过免疫荧光测定法对经逆转录定量聚合酶链反应（RT-qPCR）检测确诊为COVID-19的个体鼻咽拭子中获得的细胞进行分析，以检测ERα、ERβ和GPER以及ACE2受体的存在和表达。此外，使用化学发光微粒子免疫测定法评估血清细胞因子水平。结果突出显示了ERα和ACE2表达的显著差异，并且绝经前女性组中白细胞介素-8（IL-8）和巨噬细胞炎性蛋白-1β（MIP-1β）的表达高于绝经后女性和男性。这些发现表明，在患有COVID-19的绝经前女性中，ERα和ACE2的高表达可能起到保护作用，增强抗病毒免疫反应。强调了探索COVID-19发病机制中复杂激素和分子影响的重要性，突出了需要进行更多研究以更好地了解决定不同人群严重程度和免疫反应的因素。
