How sex and age affect immune responses, susceptibility to infections, and response to vaccination

Do men die young and sick, or do women live long and healthy? By trying to explain the sexual dimorphism in life expectancy, both biological and environmental aspects are presently being addressed. Besides age-related changes, both the immune and the endocrine system exhibit significant sex-specific differences. This review deals with the aging immune system and its interplay with sex steroid hormones. Together, they impact on the etiopathology of many infectious diseases, which are still the major causes of morbidity and mortality in people at old age. Among men, susceptibilities toward many infectious diseases and the corresponding mortality rates are higher. Responses to various types of vaccination are…

• EC
  European Commission

  Award: 320333
• DF
  Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

  Award: FP7-SSH-2012-1 #320333
• FS
  FP7 Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities