scholarly journals Sexual Dimorphism in Immunity to Oral Bacterial Diseases: Intersection of Neutrophil and Osteoclast Pathobiology

2018 ◽  
Vol 97 (13) ◽  
pp. 1416-1423 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Valerio ◽  
K.L. Kirkwood

Sex is a biological variable that affects immune responses to bacterial and other types of infectious agents. Males and females are known to have differential oral bacterial disease burden in periodontal and endodontic disease. Understanding that there is a contribution from both sex and gender to these oral diseases, we discuss in this review recent sex-based findings that provide a pathobiological basis for differences observed between males and females. Sexual dimorphism of immune responses with respect to neutrophil trafficking and osteoclast differentiation and formation is presented as a plausible mechanism to explain the sexual differences. We also emphasize that sex, as a biological variable, should be considered in these types of oral immunologic studies.

Author(s):  
Sabra L. Klein ◽  
Jaclyn M. Schwarz

Sex is a biological variable that affects immune responses to both self and foreign antigens (e.g., microbial infections) in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as in peripheral organs. The sex of an individual is defined by the differential determination of the sex chromosomes, the organization of the reproductive organs, and the subsequent sex steroid hormone levels in males and females. Sex is distinct from gender, which includes self-identification as being a male or female as well as behaviors and activities that are determined by society or culture in humans. Male and female differences in immunological responses may be influenced by both sex and gender, with sex contributing to the physiological and anatomical differences that influence exposure, recognition, clearance, and even transmission of microbes in males and females. By contrast, gender may reflect behaviors that influence exposure to microbes, access to health care, or health-seeking behaviors that indirectly affect the course of infection in males and females. Though both sex and gender influence the immune response, the focus of this article is the biological factors that influence immunological differences between the sexes in both the CNS and peripheral tissues to alter the course of diseases across the life span.


2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 1578-1583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P Yourth ◽  
Mark R Forbes ◽  
Robert L Baker

A few studies have shown that male and female invertebrates differ in immunity and that these differences appear related to differences in sexual dimorphism and gender differences in life histories. Melanotic encapsulation of foreign objects in insects is one form of immunity. The damselfly Lestes forcipatus Rambur is moderately sexually dimorphic, and much is known about patterns of mass gain in congeners relating to differences in life history between males and females. In this study, females were more immunoresponsive than males under controlled temperatures, following emergence, and at a time when parasitic mites were challenging these hosts. However, males and females that overlapped in mass at emergence did not differ in their immune responses. Males in better condition at emergence were more immunoresponsive than lighter males, but this relation was not found in females. Sex differences in immune expression may have implications for how females versus males are able to deal with challenges from parasites, under varying environmental conditions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (25) ◽  
pp. 12220-12225 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Kantner ◽  
David McKinney ◽  
Michele Pierson ◽  
Shaza Wester

An understanding of the division of labor in different societies, and especially how it evolved in the human species, is fundamental to most analyses of social, political, and economic systems. The ability to reconstruct how labor was organized, however, especially in ancient societies that left behind few material remains, is challenged by the paucity of direct evidence demonstrating who was involved in production. This is particularly true for identifying divisions of labor along lines of age, sex, and gender, for which archaeological interpretations mostly rely upon inferences derived from modern examples with uncertain applicability to ancient societies. Drawing upon biometric studies of human fingerprints showing statistically distinct ridge breadth measurements for juveniles, males, and females, this study reports a method for collecting fingerprint impressions left on ancient material culture and using them to distinguish the sex of the artifacts’ producers. The method is applied to a sample of 985 ceramic sherds from a 1,000-y-old Ancestral Puebloan community in the US Southwest, a period characterized by the rapid emergence of a highly influential religious and political center at Chaco Canyon. The fingerprint evidence demonstrates that both males and females were significantly involved in pottery production and further suggests that the contributions of each sex varied over time and even among different social groups in the same community. The results indicate that despite long-standing assumptions that pottery production in Ancient Puebloan societies was primarily a female activity, labor was not strictly divided and instead was likely quite dynamic.


Author(s):  
E. I. Edibamode ◽  
K. Mordi ◽  
L. K. David ◽  
A. M. Eghoi

Background. External ear measurement is of utmost importance in reconstructive surgeries. Objectives. The present study is aimed at ascertaining sexual dimorphism in external ear anthropometry and ear lobe attachments among adults Ijaws in Bayelsa, Nigeria. Methods. A total of 112 adults within the age range of 18-50 yrs, who met the inclusion criteria, were involved in the study. Four linear dimensions of the ear, which are ear length (EL), ear width (EW), lobular length (LL) and lobular width (LW), were measured for both genders. The lobular attachment for both ears for males and females were also examined and results recorded. These data were subjected to Student t-test, Chi-square test, and Pearson’s correlation using SPSS version 20.0. Results. The mean values for EL, EW, LL, and LW for the left auricle in the males and females were 58.14±0.60, 27.41±0.37, 14.47±0.27, 13.50±0.34 and 57.90±0.16, 27.45±0.65, 15.41±0.31, 13.43±0.38 respectively. However, for the right auricle in the males and females, the values were 58.40±0.45, 28.21±0.68, 14.32±0.31, 13.04±0.32, and 56.66±1.10, 27.51±0.65, 15.58±0.29, 13.28±0.34 respectively. The left and right lobular length were the only parameters that proved statistical significance (p<0.05) in females compare to males. Pearson’s correlations between right and left sides for each of the parameters were positive and significant. Chi-square analysis revealed no significant relationship (p>0.05) between earlobe attachments and gender. Conclusions. Sexual dimorphism was thus established in the Ijaw population as regards lobular length dimensions. It is believed that the results of this study would be very useful for ear morphology and reconstructive surgeries.


Author(s):  
Brian Burns

This paper is intended to promote discussion of the human processes involved in Engineering and Design. For the convenience of discussion, a distinction is proposed, between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ - ‘males and females’ and ‘masculine and feminine’. Recent work studying the participation of female students in the currently male dominated profession of engineering is reviewed. The paper thus explores engineering and design, left-handedness, hunting and gathering, communication, collaboration, sustainability, nurture, holistic thinking, the Kyoto Accord, and how developments in the masculine and feminine aspects of design and engineering may well be essential to the future of Design Engineering.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-352 ◽  

The prevalence, age of onset, and clinical symptoms of many neuropsychiatric diseases substantially differ between males and females. Factors influencing the relationships between brain development and function and sex or gender may help us understand the differences between males and females in terms of risk or resilience factors in brain diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1620
Author(s):  
Naim Abu-Freha ◽  
Roni Gat ◽  
Aerin Philip ◽  
Baha Yousef ◽  
Liza Ben Shoshan ◽  
...  

Sex and gender can affect the prevalence and prognosis of diseases. Our aim was to assess similarities and differences for males and females who underwent an upper endoscopy, with regards to indications and results. We reviewed all upper endoscopy reports from 2012 to 2016. Data regarding demographics, indications, and procedure findings were collected. The upper endoscopy findings were compared regarding the most common indications: gastroesophageal reflux, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, and anemia. We investigated 12,213 gastroscopies among males (age, 56.7 ± 17.4) and 15,817 among females (age, 56.0 ± 17.3, p = 0.002). Males who underwent an upper endoscopy for gastroesophageal reflux had higher rates of esophagitis (7.7% vs. 3.4%, p < 0.001) and Barret’s esophagus (4.4% vs. 1.5%, p < 0.001). Females who underwent an upper endoscopy for abdominal pain had a higher rate of hiatal hernia, whereas males had higher rates of esophagitis, helicobacter pylori infection, gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenitis, and duodenal ulcer (p < 0.001). Gastrointestinal bleeding as an indication for upper endoscopy showed that helicobacter, duodenitis, and duodenal ulcers are more common among males compared to females (p < 0.001). Males with anemia who underwent an upper endoscopy had higher rates of esophagitis (p = 0.021) gastritis (p = 0.002), duodenitis (p < 0.001), and duodenal ulcer (p < 0.001). We found significant differences regarding the pathological gastroscopy findings between males and females in relation to the different indications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fransiska Rahayu Myrlinda

ABSTRACT             Being males and females is biologically constructed since human beings were born. Meanwhile, there is also strict distinction done by society to divide people into men and women or usually called as doing gender stereotype. It effects on different assumptions that are attached to them. As the result, people are categorized based on their own gender roles in society. Java, as the symbol of patriarchal society, is the ethnic which agrees with this social phenomenon. Its beliefs symbolize how men and women have different social status. It also results in different gender roles. SITI is the film which deals with this phenomenon. It shows that being “obedient” Javanese women will give effect on social status towards different genders. The theories of sex and gender and also patriarchal society were used to get the reliable data. Keywords: SITI, Sex and Gender, Inequality, Javanese’s beliefs ABSTRAK                 Menjadi pria dan wanita secara biologis dibangun sejak manusia dilahirkan. Sementara itu, ada juga perbedaan mendalam yang masyarakat lakukan untuk membagi manusia menjadi pria dan wanita atau biasa disebut sebagai stereotip di gender. Hal ini berpengaruh pada perbedaan asumsi yang melekat padanya. Sebagai akibat, manusia dikategorikan berdasarkan peran gender mereka sendiri di masyarakat. Jawa, sebagai simbol masyarakat patriarkal, adalah etnis yang setuju dengan fenomena sosial ini. Kepercayaan yang ada pada masyarakat Jawa melambangkan bagaimana pria dan wanita memiliki status sosial yang berbeda. Hal ini juga menghasilkan peran gender yang berbeda. SITI adalah film yang merepresentasikan fenomena ini. Film ini menunjukkan bahwa sebagai perempuan Jawa yang “taat” akan memberikan efek pada status sosial dari gender yang berbeda. Teori seks dan gender serta masyarakat patriarki digunakan untuk mendapatkan data yang sesuai. Kata Kunci: SITI, Teori seks dan gender, Ketidaksetaraan, Kepercayaan Jawa


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditi Bhargava ◽  
Arthur P Arnold ◽  
Debra A Bangasser ◽  
Kate M Denton ◽  
Arpana Gupta ◽  
...  

Abstract In May 2014, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stated its intent to “require applicants to consider sex as a biological variable (SABV) in the design and analysis of NIH-funded research involving animals and cells.” Since then, proposed research plans that include animals routinely state that both sexes/genders will be used; however, in many instances, researchers and reviewers are at a loss about the issue of sex differences. Moreover, the terms sex and gender are used interchangeably by many researchers, further complicating the issue. In addition, the sex or gender of the researcher might influence study outcomes, especially those concerning behavioral studies, in both animals and humans. The act of observation may change the outcome (the “observer effect”) and any experimental manipulation, no matter how well-controlled, is subject to it. This is nowhere more applicable than in physiology and behavior. The sex of established cultured cell lines is another issue, in addition to aneuploidy; chromosomal numbers can change as cells are passaged. Additionally, culture medium contains steroids, growth hormone, and insulin that might influence expression of various genes. These issues often are not taken into account, determined, or even considered. Issues pertaining to the “sex” of cultured cells are beyond the scope of this Statement. However, we will discuss the factors that influence sex and gender in both basic research (that using animal models) and clinical research (that involving human subjects), as well as in some areas of science where sex differences are routinely studied. Sex differences in baseline physiology and associated mechanisms form the foundation for understanding sex differences in diseases pathology, treatments, and outcomes. The purpose of this Statement is to highlight lessons learned, caveats, and what to consider when evaluating data pertaining to sex differences, using 3 areas of research as examples; it is not intended to serve as a guideline for research design.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-446 ◽  

Suffering related to dementia is multifaceted because cognitive and physical functioning slowly deteriorates. Advanced age and sex, two of the most prominent risk factors for dementia, are not modifiable. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, and poor diet modulate susceptibility to dementia in both males and females. The degree to which the resulting health conditions (eg, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease) impact dementia risk varies by sex. Depending on the subtype of dementia, the ratio of male to female prevalence differs. For example, females are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer disease dementia, whereas males are at greater risk of developing vascular dementia. This review examines sex and gender differences in the development of dementia with the goal of highlighting factors that require further investigation. Considering sex as a biological variable in dementia research promises to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of these conditions.


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