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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Inflammation
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1379754
This article is part of the Research Topic Community Series in The Role of Toll-like Receptors and their Related Signaling Pathways in Viral Infection and Inflammation: Volume II View all 4 articles

Sex-related immunity: could Toll-like receptors be the answer in acute inflammatory response?

Provisionally accepted
Alexandros Popotas Alexandros Popotas 1,2*Georges J. Casimir Georges J. Casimir 2Francis Corazza Francis Corazza 3Nicolas Lefèvre Nicolas Lefèvre 2
  • 1 Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2 Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium
  • 3 University Hospital Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    An increasing number of studies have highlighted the existence of a sex-specific immune response, wherein men experience a worse prognosis in cases of acute inflammatory diseases. Initially, this sex-dependent inflammatory response was attributed to the influence of sex hormones. However, a growing body of evidence has shifted the focus toward the influence of chromosomes rather than sex hormones in shaping these inflammatory sex disparities. Notably, certain pattern recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and their associated immune pathways have been implicated in driving the sex-specific immune response. These receptors are encoded by genes located on the X chromosome. TLRs are pivotal components of the innate immune system, playing crucial roles in responding to infectious diseases, including bacterial and viral pathogens, as well as trauma-related conditions. Importantly, the TLR-mediated inflammatory responses, as indicated by the production of specific proteins and cytokines, exhibit discernible sex-dependent patterns. In this review, we delve into the subject of sex bias in TLR activation and explore its clinical implications relatively to both the X chromosome and the hormonal environment. The overarching objective is to enhance our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying these sex differences.

    Keywords: TLR -Toll-like receptor, innate immunity, Sex, X Chromosome, Hormones, Sepsis, Infection, Trauma

    Received: 31 Jan 2024; Accepted: 06 May 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Popotas, Casimir, Corazza and Lefèvre. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Alexandros Popotas, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.