Effect of Sex on Coxiella burnetii Infection: Protective Role of 17β‐Estradiol
2004; Oxford University Press; Volume: 189; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1086/380798
ISSN1537-6613
AutoresMarc Léone, Amélie Honstettre, Hubert Lépidi, Christian Capo, Françis Bayard, Didier Raoult, Jean‐Louis Mège,
Tópico(s)Insect and Pesticide Research
ResumoQ fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii and recently has been recognized as a potential agent of bioterrorism. In Q fever, men are symptomatic more often than women, despite equal seroprevalence. We hypothesized that sex hormones play a role in the pathogenesis of C. burnetii infection. When C57/BL6 mice were injected with C. burnetii bacteria load and granuloma numbers were lower in females than in males. Ovarectomized mice showed increased bacteria load in the spleen and the liver, similar to that found in males. The granuloma number was also increased in ovarectomized mice and reached the levels found in males. Tissue infection and granulomatous response are largely under the control of estrogens: treatment of ovarectomized mice with 17β-estradiol reduced both bacteria loads and granuloma numbers. These results show that sex hormones control host response to C. burnetii infection and may account for host-dependent clinical presentation of Q fever
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