[Inflammation: effective response or vulnerability related to sex?]

Abstract

Life expectancy is sex-dependent: women live longer than men, and even though it is improving in both sexes, this difference remains true.The recent Covid-19 crisis has been pathognomonic of this. The essential element of this dimorphism is the way in which each sex controls inflammatory homeostasis, both in terms of kinetics and intensity. This review evaluates the mechanistic literature on the subject, the diagnostic, regulatory, and therapeutic aspects; it concludes with future prospects for the management of patients with severe infections or other concerning inflammatory disorders.