Keywords
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
Immunity
X Chromosome
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has a broad symptom spectrum that varies from person to person. However, evidence has been proposed for a sex dependence in symptom severity.
Purpose: To describe the criteria and approaches that suggest the sex differences as factors responsible for the susceptibility to infection and heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2 disease symptom severity.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in the PubMed database, deeming articles published from December 2019 to May 2021; languages of publication: English and Spanish; encompassing current and retrospective studies on sexual, hormonal, molecular and genetic factors in SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease.
Results: A total of 58 articles were selected, which mainly addressed the following research lines and topics: epidemiology and public health, biomedical sciences (evolution, reproduction, genetics, immunology, endocrinology, biochemistry, molecular biology) and clinical medicine.
Conclusions: Statistically there is less severity and mortality due to infection in the female population globally. This trend responds to mechanisms that include: a greater reserve of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) in some tissues, a more effective immune response due to the presence of certain sex hormones that act as protective factors to the disease, as well as mechanisms inherent to sex genes, either the inactivation of X or the expression of miRNA and genes associated to the immune system.
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