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A corona infection can show completely different courses. Men often have to be treated in the clinic because of Covid-19. Researchers have now found a startling clue.
- Since the beginning of the coronavirus * pandemic, researchers around the world have been trying to find out everything about the Sars-CoV-2 virus.
- Why men get more seriously ill with Covid-19 than women has been puzzling researchers for a long time.
- Scientists have now found another clue.
Munich – Covid-19 has turned the world upside down. Almost every day there are new findings from science Coronavirus. One theme: Even at the beginning of the corona pandemic, men from Covid-19 affected. In addition, it appeared that men had more severe coronavirus infections than women.
The gender specific different case numbers in China Researchers tried to explain that it was mainly smokers who were to be found among the severe corona cases – in China it was mainly men who smoked. However, why men are hospitalized more often and also die more often from Covid-19 than women, puzzled experts.
US researchers have now taken a closer look and that immune system of infected Men and Women examined. The scientists wanted to find out how the immune system reacts to an infection with Sars-CoV-2. The researchers provided one Difference in typical immune response for the female and male participants. According to the researchers, this gender difference could be one important NOTE be. The results of the study were published in the journal “Nature” released. The group of test persons was therefore on average around 60 years old and comprised 50 women and 50 men.
Covid-19: How differently women and men react to a coronavirus infection
- Women reacted stronger for a coronavirus infection with immune cells known as T cells are known. This T cells are white blood cellswhich, in addition to antibodies, play an important role in the human immune system. They are called T cells because they mature in the thymus. There are T cells that recognize and kill cells in the body that have been infected by a virus. Others activate so-called B cells, which form defense substances, antibodies.
- Both Men the researchers found a higher level of after a corona infection Cytokines firmly. Cytokines are proteins that indicate certain types of inflammation in the blood. They function as messenger substances and attract other immune cells to the sources of inflammation. If the immune system overreacts, however, too much cytokine is produced. This then marks and destroys many healthy cells. The researchers also observed a weaker defense by T cells.
The researchers also found that male patients had one severe disease course was associated with a poor immune response of the T cells and this also decreases with age. According to the scientists, the results are a possible explanation for the different course of the disease between men and women. It is therefore important to take this into account when treating patients.
Are men more susceptible to the coronavirus than women? In a European study, researchers found an indication of this: analyzes showed that men’s blood had a higher level of a key enzyme called compared to women ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2). The Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus uses the ACE2 enzyme as a receptor to penetrate a host cell and then to replicate, i.e. to multiply. The ACE2 enzyme is found primarily in the lungs, but also in the heart, in the intestines. (ml) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network
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