Sex differences in vaccine-induced humoral immunity

• Published in: Seminars in immunopathology Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 239 - 249
• Main Authors: Fischinger, Stephanie, Boudreau, Carolyn M., Butler, Audrey L., Streeck, Hendrik, Alter, Galit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.03.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibody Formation - drug effects; Antibody Formation - genetics; Autoimmune diseases; Autoimmune Diseases - epidemiology; Autoimmune Diseases - etiology; Autoimmune Diseases - genetics; Autoimmune Diseases - immunology; Autoimmunity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Female; Females; Gender differences; Humans; Humoral immunity; Immune response; Immunity, Humoral - drug effects; Immunity, Humoral - genetics; Immunology; Incidence; Infection Control; Infections - epidemiology; Infections - genetics; Infections - immunology; Infectious diseases; Internal Medicine; Male; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microbiota - immunology; Population studies; Public health; Review; Sex Characteristics; Sex differences; Vaccination; Vaccines; Vaccines - immunology; Vaccines - therapeutic use; Infection; Sex differences; Gender differences; Immune response; Hormones; Vaccination
• ISSN: 1863-2297; 1863-2300; 1863-2300
• DOI: 10.1007/s00281-018-0726-5

Vaccines are among the most impactful public health interventions, preventing millions of new infections and deaths annually worldwide. However, emerging data suggest that vaccines may not protect all populations equally. Specifically, studies analyzing variation in vaccine-induced immunity have pointed to the critical impact of genetics, the environment, nutrition, the microbiome, and sex in influencing vaccine responsiveness. The significant contribution of sex to modulating vaccine-induced immunity has gained attention over the last years. Specifically, females typically develop higher antibody responses and experience more adverse events following vaccination than males. This enhanced immune reactogenicity among females is thought to render females more resistant to infectious diseases, but conversely also contribute to higher incidence of autoimmunity among women. Dissection of mechanisms which underlie sex differences in vaccine-induced immunity has implicated hormonal, genetic, and microbiota differences across males and females. This review will highlight the importance of sex-dependent differences in vaccine-induced immunity and specifically will address the role of sex as a modulator of humoral immunity, key to long-term pathogen-specific protection.