Sex hormone role in the regulation of innate immunity

According to scientific researches, it is well known that there are sex differences in the immune response, manifested by lower rates of infection with bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens, as well as an increased incidence of autoimmune diseases in women compared to men. These trends indicate that women have increased immune reactivity to both their own and foreign antigens. The effect of sex hormones on the cells of the immune system should be considered one of the determining factors causing differences in the immune response in men and women. The proposed review discusses the effect of sex hormones (estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone) on cells of the innate immune system, possible ways and mechanisms of their action. The article also discusses the possible mechanisms of sex differences in the formation of autoimmune pathology. It shows how hormonal-immune associations change in conditions such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. It is assumed that the levels of steroid hormones, which are different for each physiological or pathological condition of the human body, adjust the activity of the immune system to the appropriate functional regime. The study of the effect of sex hormones on the functioning of the immune system is of paramount importance for understanding the mechanisms of development of autoimmune diseases, as well as the sex-dependent characteristics of the body's reactions to pathogens and vaccines, especially during periods of significant hormonal changes. The purpose of this review was to analyze the mechanisms of the sex hormone effect on the innate immune cells. KEYWORDS: sex hormones, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, autoimmune diseases, innate immunity, puberty, pregnancy, menopause. FOR CITATION: Puzikova O.Z., Churyukina E.V., Moskovkina A.V., Gafiyatullina G.Sh., Kharitonova M.V., Amamchyan A.E., Kravchenko L.V. Sex hormone role in the regulation of innate immunity. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2025;9(2):119–124 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587- 6821-2025-9-2-4