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Androgen-dependent immune modulation in parasitic infection

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Abstract

Parasitic infections modulate the immune system of the host, resulting in either immune tolerance or the induction of pro-inflammatory defense mechanisms against the pathogen. In both cases, sex hormones are involved in the regulation of the immune response, as they are present in the systemic circulation and can act on a wide variety of cell types, including immune cells. Men and women have a different milieu of sex hormones, and these hormones play a role in determining immune responses to parasitic infections. Men, who have higher plasma levels of androgens than women, are generally more susceptible to parasitic infections. Many immune cells express the androgen receptor (AR), and the immunologic functions of these cells can be modulated by androgens. In this review, we will highlight the immune cell types that are sensitive to male steroid hormones and describe their roles during three parasitic diseases, amebiasis, leishmaniasis, and helminthiasis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Molecular Infection Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany

    Julie Sellau, Marie Groneberg & Hannelore Lotter

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  1. Julie Sellau
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  2. Marie Groneberg
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Correspondence to Julie Sellau.

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This article is a contribution to the special issue on Sex differences in immunity – Guest Editors: Hanna Lotter and Marcus Altfeld

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Sellau, J., Groneberg, M. & Lotter, H. Androgen-dependent immune modulation in parasitic infection. Semin Immunopathol 41, 213–224 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-018-0722-9

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