Testosterone target therapy: focus on immune response, controversies and clinical implications in patients with COVID-19 infection.

Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism
Stefano SalcicciaMartina Maggi

Abstract

The pandemic acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) named COVID-19 is causing a severe health emergency, and an individual's hormonal milieu may play an important role in both susceptibility to infection and severity of clinical course. We analyzed the role of testosterone in the immune response, and we hypothesized possible mechanisms to explain the high incidence of COVID-19 infection and a worse clinical course in elderly male patients. Testosterone may impair the immune response, and this effect could explain the greater susceptibility of men to infection. Transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) plays a crucial role in the entry of the virus into the respiratory epithelial cells, leading to COVID-19 disease. It is crucial to emphasize that testosterone levels and chemical castration (e.g. by androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer) may have contrasting roles in the phases of COVID-19 infection. Whereas low testosterone levels may be protective against the initial susceptibility (due to a restoration of immunological functions and a block of TMPRSS2), low testosterone may stimulate a worse clinical course in the advanced COVID-19 infection as it could exacerbate or activate the cytokine storm. If te...Continue Reading

References

Jun 1, 1977·The Journal of Clinical Investigation·J R RoubinianN Talal
Sep 1, 1986·The Journal of Endocrinology·B D GreensteinM J Wheeler
Feb 4, 1998·Endocrinology·N J OlsenW J Kovacs
Nov 21, 2000·Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America·M Cutolo
Feb 7, 2001·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism·S M HarmanUNKNOWN Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Aug 30, 2001·Nature Immunology·C C Whitacre
Jun 25, 2002·Journal of Clinical Immunology·Cagatay OktenliYavuz Sanisoglu
Jul 21, 2004·Lancet·Fabio LanfrancoEberhard Nieschlag
Jul 19, 2006·International Journal of Clinical Practice·T MulliganC McWhirter
Nov 18, 2006·Autoimmunity Reviews·Jozef Rovenský
Apr 7, 2007·Nature Clinical Practice. Urology·Anders Bojesen, Claus H Gravholt
Feb 14, 2008·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism·Frederick C W WuUNKNOWN European Male Aging Study Group
May 26, 2009·Journal of Autoimmunity·Amr H SawalhaR Hal Scofield
Jul 11, 2009·Climacteric : the Journal of the International Menopause Society·C R Holroyd, C J Edwards
Apr 13, 2010·Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism : TEM·T H Jones
Dec 30, 2011·Journal of Autoimmunity·Shashi AmurPadmaja Mummaneni
Nov 3, 2012·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism·Kristian A GrothAnders Bojesen
May 6, 2014·Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology·S T NgoP A McCombe
Feb 25, 2015·Cellular Immunology·Abhishek TrigunaiteTrine N Jørgensen
Jun 22, 2016·Clinical Rheumatology·Jacques BaillargeonYong-Fang Kuo
Aug 23, 2016·Nature Reviews. Immunology·Sabra L Klein, Katie L Flanagan
Oct 11, 2017·Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology·Katie L FlanaganSabra L Klein
Feb 1, 2018·Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental·George A Kanakis, Eberhard Nieschlag
May 15, 2018·Frontiers in Immunology·Melanie R Gubbels Bupp, Trine N Jorgensen
Mar 20, 2019·Endocrine Reviews·Jean-Marc KaufmanIlpo Tapani Huhtaniemi
Mar 18, 2020·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Edward Livingston, Karen Bucher
Mar 22, 2020·Redox Biology·Damian N Di FlorioDeLisa Fairweather
Apr 17, 2020·Biology of Reproduction·Ci SongYun Liu
Apr 19, 2020·Science·John B Moore, Carl H June
May 11, 2020·Annals of Oncology : Official Journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology·M MontopoliA Alimonti
Jun 12, 2020·Andrology·Vito A GiagulliVincenzo Triggiani

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 20, 2021·Andrology·Andrea SaloniaFrancesco Montorsi

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.