Tag: sex differences

Gender differences in host defense mechanisms

Abstract:

Extensive studies in both humans and animals have shown that females express enhanced levels of immunoreactivity compared to males. Whereas this provides females with increased resistance to many types of infection, it also makes them more susceptible to autoimmune diseases. This review will focus on gender-related differences in non-specific host defense mechanisms with a particular emphasis on monocyte/macrophage function and a primary product of monocytes: interleukin-1 (IL-1). Immunomodulatory cytokines such as IL-1 are influenced by gender-sensitive hormones, and reciprocally, these cytokines influence gender-specific hormones and tissues. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are predominantly women, therefore it may be useful to look toward gender-specific differences in immune function to find a key for this poorly understood syndrome.

 

Source: Cannon JG, St Pierre BA. Gender differences in host defense mechanisms. J Psychiatr Res. 1997 Jan-Feb;31(1):99-113. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9201652

 

Gender differences in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there are differences between men and women patients who have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and, if so, to ascertain whether a gender-related pattern exists.

DESIGN: A descriptive study of demographic, clinical, and psychosocial measures, the results of which were prospectively collected for patients who had CFS.

SETTING: A university-based referral clinic devoted to the evaluation and management of chronic fatigue.

PATIENTS: 348 CFS patients who had undergone complete medical evaluations.

MEASURES: Clinical variables included symptoms, physical examination findings, and laboratory results. Psychosocial assessment consisted of a structured psychiatric interview, the Medical Outcomes Study Short-form General Health Survey to assess functional status, the General Health Questionnaire to ascertain psychological distress, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, and measures of attribution, social support, and coping.

MAIN RESULTS: Overall, few gender-related differences were identified. Women had a higher frequency of tender or enlarged lymph nodes (60% versus 33%, p < or = 0.01) and fibromyalgia (36% versus 12%, p < or = 0.001) and lower scores on the physical functioning subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study Short-form General Health Survey (37.6 versus 52.2, p < 0.01); men more often had pharyngeal inflammation (42% versus 22%, p < or = 0.001) and reported a higher lifetime prevalence of alcoholism (20% versus 9%, p < or = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: In general, demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors do not distinguish men from women CFS patients.

 

Source: Buchwald D, Pearlman T, Kith P, Schmaling K. Gender differences in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. J Gen Intern Med. 1994 Jul;9(7):397-401. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7931750

 

Red cell shape changes following trigger finger fatigue in subjects with chronic tiredness and healthy controls

Abstract:

AIMS: To investigate the possibility of a correlation between the percentage of nondiscocytic erythrocytes and muscle fatiguability in subjects with the symptom of chronic tiredness.

METHODS: Sixty nine volunteers suffering from persisting or intermittent tiredness and 72 healthy controls provided 3-drop samples of venous blood for red cell shape analysis before and after inducing fatigue in the trigger finger muscles by repeatedly pulling the trigger of an antique revolver. Elapsed time and the number of pulls were recorded. A work index was calculated from the number of trigger pulls divided by the time in seconds then multiplied by the number of trigger pulls.

RESULTS: Subjects with tiredness had fewer discoid cells (males 62.5% vs 69.2%, p = 0.029; females 65.8% vs 71.8%, p = 0.002) than controls. They also had fewer trigger pulls (males 62.3 vs 84.0, p = 0.003; females 29.5 vs 36.8, p = 0.042) and lower “work indices” (males 75.6 vs 104.7, p = 0.001; females 26.1 vs 39.6, p = 0.001) than controls at the first trigger pulling. After 5 minutes rest the number of trigger pulls for males was fewer than the controls (56.0 vs 64.2) but the difference was not significant, but the female values (24.3 vs 33.2) were significantly different (p = 0.008). Work indices for both sexes were significantly different from controls (males p = 0.020, females p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The association of increased nondiscocytes and impaired muscle function could indicate a cause and effect relationship. This would be in agreement with the physiological concept of fatigue as a consequence of inadequate oxygen delivery.

 

Source: Simpson LO, Murdoch JC, Herbison GP. Red cell shape changes following trigger finger fatigue in subjects with chronic tiredness and healthy controls. N Z Med J. 1993 Mar 24;106(952):104-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8474717