Gender differences in treatment of Coronavirus Disease-2019

Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 2020 Dec 3;90(4). doi: 10.4081/monaldi.2020.1508.

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is the worst worldwide pandemic with more than 12,000,000 cases and 560,000 deaths until 14th July 2020. Men were more infected by COVID-19 than women, and male subjects with underlying conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases developed a severe form of the affection, with increased mortality rate. Many factors can contribute to the disparity in disease outcomes, such as hormone-specific reaction and activity of X-linked genes, which modulate the innate and adaptive immune response to virus infection. Until now, only the Remdesivir was approved by FDA (Food Drug Administration) for COVID-19 treatment, although several clinical trials are ongoing worldwide also on other drugs. In this review, we analyzed published studies on several drugs (chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir-ritonavir in combination, tocilizumab, plasma, and immunoglobulins) with some efficacy to COVID-19 in humans, and evaluated if there were a gender analysis of the available data. In our opinion, it is essential to report data about COVID-19 disaggregated by sex, age, and race, because the knowledge of gender differences is fundamental to identify effective and customized treatments to reduce hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units, and mortality.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Monophosphate / analogs & derivatives
  • Adenosine Monophosphate / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Alanine / analogs & derivatives
  • Alanine / therapeutic use
  • Amides / therapeutic use
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology*
  • COVID-19 / mortality
  • COVID-19 / therapy
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • COVID-19 Serotherapy
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / complications
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology
  • Chloroquine / therapeutic use
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Diabetes Complications / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / complications
  • Hypertension / epidemiology
  • Immunity / genetics
  • Immunization, Passive / methods
  • Immunoglobulins / therapeutic use
  • Lopinavir / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mortality / trends
  • Pandemics / prevention & control
  • Pandemics / statistics & numerical data
  • Pyrazines / therapeutic use
  • Ritonavir / therapeutic use
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics*
  • Sex Characteristics*

Substances

  • Amides
  • Antimalarials
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Pyrazines
  • Lopinavir
  • remdesivir
  • Adenosine Monophosphate
  • Chloroquine
  • favipiravir
  • Ritonavir
  • Alanine