Biological Sex Differences Research Articles

Enamel growth rates of anterior teeth in males and females from modern and ancient British populations.

This study explored biological sex differences in the regional daily growth rates of human anterior enamel from modern and ancient populations in Britain. Maxillary permanent incisors (n = 80) and canines (n = 69) from Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Modern day populations were analyzed using histological methods. Daily secretion rates (DSRs) were collected for inner, mid, and outer regions of cuspal and lateral enamel. Modern day samples were of known sex, archeological individuals had sex determined using standard osteological methods. Variation in DSRs between the sexes, both between and within populations, was sought using parametric and nonparametric tests. When all samples were pooled, there was no significant difference between males and females. Similarly no significant differences in DSRs were identified between male and females within each population. When DSRs were compared between the populations, DSRs decreased from the more ancient to the more recent populations for males, and for females. More interpopulation differences were observed in males. This study presents evidence for the relative consistency of enamel DSRs between male and female groups within each British population. Interpopulation analyses found DSRs slowed significantly between Roman and modern day populations for both sexes, with male DSRs showing the greatest variation between populations.

ВЗАИМОСВЯЗЬ СТИЛЕЙ СЕМЕЙНОГО ВОСПИТАНИЯ СТАРШЕКЛАССНИКОВ И ИХ ГЕНДЕРНЫХ ПРЕДСТАВЛЕНИЙ

В статье обсуждается роль семьи в формировании гендерных представленийстаршеклассников. Определено, что гендерные представления – это обусловленные социумомпонятия, взгляды, утверждения и объяснения относительно распределения ролей и статусныхпозиций мужчин и женщин в обществе. Установлено, что среди юношей и девушек, участвующихв исследовании, преобладают лица с андрогинным типом личности, так как у них маскулинные ифеминные черты представлены гармонично и взаимодополняемо. Определено, что у большинствастаршеклассников выявлены эгалитарные гендерные представления, а у их родителей значимочаще обнаруживаются традиционные гендерные представления. Эмпирически доказано, чтостаршеклассники, родители которых используют авторитетный стиль воспитания, значимочаще характеризуются эгалитарными гендерными представлениями. Старшеклассники,родители которых используют авторитарный и индифферентный стили воспитания, какправило, характеризуются традиционными или неопределенными гендерными представлениями.Установлено, что чем прогрессивнее гендерные представления у родителей, тем гармоничнеепредпочитаемые ими стили семейного воспитания. Полученные данные могут использоватьсяпедагогами-психологами учреждений образования в диагностических, прогностических иразвивающих целях.

Factors Related to Biological Sex Differences in Engagement with Healthcare Providers in Persons Living with HIV.

Little is known about how engagement with healthcare providers mediates the relationship between psychosocial factors (anxiety, depression, stigma) and medication adherence among persons living with HIV (PLWH). Moreover, little research has investigated potential biological sex differences in this relationship. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected from four projects (N = 281) focused on improving health outcomes in PLWH. Males displayed (a) negative association between depression and engagement with healthcare providers (β = -0.02, z = -3.20, p = 0.001) and (b) positive association between engagement with healthcare providers and medication adherence (β = 0.55, OR = 1.73, z = 2.62, p = 0.009). Females showed no association between any of these factors. Anxiety and stigma were not significantly associated with medication adherence. Path analysis modeling for males had a very good fit (CFI = 1, TLI = 1, RMSEA = 0); none of the regression coefficients was significant for females. The significant relationship between depression and medication adherence among males was fully mediated by engagement with healthcare providers. Findings suggest that adherence interventions for PLWH should be tailored by biological sex.

Sex differences in text-mined possible adverse drug events associated with drugs for psychosis.

Understanding sex differences in adverse drug reactions to drugs for psychosis could potentially guide clinicians in optimal drug choices. By applying a text-mining approach, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between drugs for psychosis and biological sex differences in frequencies and co-occurrences of potential adverse drug events (ADEs). Electronic patient records of a psychiatric population (1427 men and 727 women) were text mined for potential ADEs. The relative risk of experiencing specific ADEs and co-occurrence of ADEs were calculated for each sex. Findings included 55 potential ADEs with significantly different frequencies between the two sexes. Of these, 20 were more frequent in men, with relative risks of 1.10-7.64, and 35 were more frequent in women, with relative risks of 1.19-21.58. Frequent potential ADEs were psychiatric symptoms, including sexual dysfunction and disturbances in men, and gastrointestinal symptoms, suicidal and self-injurious behaviour and hyperprolactinemia-related events in women. Mention of different hyperprolactinemia-related ADEs often co-occurred in female patients but not in male patients. Several known sex-related ADEs were identified, as well as some previously not reported. When considering the risk-benefit profile of drugs for psychosis, the patient's sex should be considered.

Gender Differences and Outcomes in Melanoma Patients.

IntroductionMelanoma is one of the most common cancers in younger people. The incidence of cutaneous melanoma is increasing in patients of both sexes, with female patients generally living longer than their male counterparts. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate and confirm the sex-based difference in survival of melanoma patients and the relationship of this difference with pathological features.MethodsA total of 1023 patients who had been treated at the Department of Medical Oncology, Università Politecnica Marche (Ancona, Italy) and the INRCA-IRCCS Department of Dermatology (Ancona, Italy) between 1987 and 2014 were enrolled in the study.ResultsIn terms of stage of disease at onset, there was a significant difference in disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in favor of female patients in disease stage I (P = 0.001 and P = 0.01, respectively) and II (P = 0.02 and P = 0.009, respectively). Female patients also showed a significant improvement in 12-year DFS and 12-year OS adjusted for pathological features (Breslow thickness, ulceration, “absent” tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) melanomas, “non-brisk” TIL pattern). Globally, female patients had an advantage over with male patients in both DFS and OS (P < 0.001).ConclusionsOur results show that women have a survival benefit over with men after adjustment for many variables that can reduce mortality risk in female melanoma patients. In a future investigation we wish to examine possible biological sex differences in tumor–host interactions.

Biological constraints and socioecological influences on women's pursuit of risk and the sexual division of labour.

Evolutionary treatments of women's work and the sexual division of labour derive from sexual selection theory and focus on an observed cross-cultural trend: tasks performed by women tend to be more compatible with childcare and produce less economic risk than tasks performed by men. Evolutionary models emphasize biological sex differences and opportunity costs to understand this pattern of behaviour, yet deviations remain poorly understood. We examine variation in women's work among Shodagor fisher-traders in Bangladesh with the goal of explaining such deviations related to women's work. First, we demonstrate that women's trading produces higher variance returns than men's work - a pattern not previously quantified. Next, we test predictions from the economy of scale model to understand the socioecological circumstances associated with trading. We suggest that relaxing model assumptions around biological constraints may elucidate key circumstances under which members of one gender should systematically engage in work that is incompatible with childcare and/or produces higher levels of economic risk. Results indicate that biological sex differences are insufficient to explain gendered patterns of behaviour but removal of childcare constraints and comparative advantages related to opportunity costs can explain adherence to and deviation from trends in women's work and the division of labour.

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis on Sex and Gender in Preparatory Material for National Medical Examination in Germany and the United States

Background:Sex- and gender-based medicine (SGBM) should be a mandatory part of medical education. We compared the quantity and quality of sex- and gender-related content of e-learning materials commonly used by German and American medical students while preparing for national medical examinations.Methods:Quantitative, line-by-line analysis of the preparatory materials AMBOSS 2017 and USMLE Step 1 Lecture Notes (2017) by KAPLAN MEDICAL was performed between April and October 2017. Subjects were allocated to one of the three main fields: clinical subjects, behavioral and social science, and pharmacology. Qualitative analysis comprised binary categorization into sex- and gender-based aspects and qualification with respect to the presence of a pathophysiological explanation for the sex or gender difference.Results:In relation to the total content of AMBOSS and KAPLAN, the sex- and gender-based share of the clinical subjects content was 26.8% (±8.2) in AMBOSS and 21.1% (±10.2) in KAPLAN. The number of sex- and gender-based aspects in the behavioral and social science learning material differed significantly for AMBOSS and KAPLAN (4.4% ± 3.1% vs 10.7% ± 7.5%; P = .044). Most of the sex- and gender-related content covered sex differences. Most learning cards and texts did not include a detailed pathophysiological explanation for sex- or gender-based aspects. The knowledge provided in the preparatory documents represents only a small part of facts that are already known about sex and gender differences.Conclusions:The preparatory materials focused almost exclusively on biological sex differences and the sociocultural dimension in particular is underrepresented. A lot more evidence-based facts are known and should be integrated into the materials to reflect the importance of SGBM as an integral component of patient-centered medicine.

Sex and gender in cardiovascular medicine: presentation and outcomes of acute coronary syndrome.

Although health disparities in women presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have received growing attention in recent years, clinical outcomes from ACS are still worse for women than for men. Women continue to experience higher patient and system delays and receive less aggressive invasive treatment and pharmacotherapies. Gender- and sex-specific variables that contribute to ACS vulnerability remain largely unknown. Notwithstanding the sex differences in baseline coronary anatomy and function, women and men are treated the same based on guidelines that were established from experimental and clinical trial data over-representing the male population. Importantly, younger women have a particularly unfavourable prognosis and a plethora of unanswered questions remains in this younger population. The present review summarizes contemporary evidence for gender and sex differences in vascular biology, clinical presentation, and outcomes of ACS. We further discuss potential mechanisms and non-traditional risk conditions modulating the course of disease in women and men, such as unrecognized psychosocial factors, sex-specific vascular and neural stress responses, and the potential impact of epigenetic modifications.

Meat and masculinities. Can differences in masculinity predict meat consumption, intentions to reduce meat and attitudes towards vegetarians?

“Real men eat meat.” While this idea is on the one hand widespread throughout time and cultures, it has also been criticized as being too stereotypical, not applicable to all men alike, and being dependent on group level cultural beliefs about gender norms. Increasingly some men question male norms and male privileges, and value authenticity, domesticity and holistic self-awareness. They identify themselves with ‘new’ forms of masculinity. This study investigates on an individual level if attachment to these newer forms of masculinity can predict differences in meat consumption, willingness to reduce meat, and attitudes towards vegetarians among men. A total of N = 309 male meat-eating participants were surveyed about their self-identification with new forms of masculinity, their attachment to meat, willingness to reduce their meat intake, and attitudes towards vegetarians. Results show that, as was predicted, men who identify more strongly with new forms of masculinity consume less meat, have a weaker attachment to meat, have a greater tendency to reduce their meat intake, and have more positive attitudes towards vegetarians. In sum this study carefully suggests to not only take biological sex differences, but socially and culturally determined gender differences into account when studying or promoting the (non-)consumption of meat.

Gender medicine and oncology: report and consensus of an ESMO workshop.

The importance of sex and gender as modulators of disease biology and treatment outcomes is well known in other disciplines of medicine, such as cardiology, but remains an undervalued issue in oncology. Considering the increasing evidence for their relevance, European Society for Medical Oncology decided to address this topic and organized a multidisciplinary workshop in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 30 November and 1 December 2018. Twenty invited faculty members and 40 selected physicians/scientists participated. Relevant content was presented by faculty members on the basis of a literature review conducted by each speaker. Following a moderated consensus session, the final consensus statements are reported here. Clinically relevant sex differences include tumour biology, immune system activity, body composition and drug disposition and effects. The main differences between male and female cells are sex chromosomes and the level of sexual hormones they are exposed to. They influence both local and systemic determinants of carcinogenesis. Their effect on carcinogenesis in non-reproductive organs is largely unknown. Recent evidence also suggests differences in tumour biology and molecular markers. Regarding body composition, the difference in metabolically active, fat-free body mass is one of the most prominent: in a man and a woman of equal weight and height, it accounts for 80% of the man's and 65% of the woman's body mass, and is not taken into account in body-surface area based dosing of chemotherapy. Sex differences in cancer biology and treatment deserve more attention and systematic investigation. Interventional clinical trials evaluating sex-specific dosing regimens are necessary to improve the balance between efficacy and toxicity for drugs with significant pharmacokinetic differences. Especially in diseases or disease subgroups with significant differences in epidemiology or outcomes, men and women with non-sex-related cancers should be considered as biologically distinct groups of patients, for whom specific treatment approaches merit consideration.

An Exploratory Structural Equation Model of Stress-Related Experiences Among Justice-Involved Youth: A Gender Comparison

Youth involved in the juvenile justice system demonstrate greater risk of exposure to negative life experiences. The present study explores the prevalence of three stress-related experiences (sexual assault victimization, bullying/victimization, and minority sexual orientation) among newly arrested adolescents. Gender (biological sex) differences were examined as well as associations with sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, substance use, and sexually transmitted infection (STI). Factor analyses found a single factor of stress for both genders. Prevalence rates for bullying/victimization, sexual assault victimization, and sexual minority status were higher for girls than boys. Girls were also more likely than boys to test positive for STIs and experience depressive symptoms, while boys were more likely than girls to test positive for marijuana use. Depression and drug-related problems were associated with the stress construct for girls only. Bivariate comparisons with the three stress measures and sociodemographic characteristics indicated age and race effects. Implications are discussed.

The Sex Ratio of Patients with Hematological Malignancies Enrolled Onto Clinical Trials for Investigational Medicinal Products Reported at ASH 2018 Reflects Male to Female Incidence Ratio

Introduction: It has previously been reported that there is a disparity in sex ratios (as well as ethnicity and education level) in subjects enrolled onto clinical trials for investigational medical products (CTIMPs) in oncological trials. This could have an impact for the individual as some reviews have suggested patients on clinical trials have better outcomes than those treated off trial. However, importantly this may have an impact on the analysis of the efficacy, adverse events and recommended dosing of the IMP under investigation due to sex differences in disease biology and drug metabolism. Given the significance of these potential differences, the FDA has established an Office of Women's Health with the specific mandate of ensuring women are represented adequately in trials. The sex ratios of subjects enrolled onto trials for hematological malignancies to the best of our knowledge has not been reviewed previously. We sought to analyse whether there was a difference in enrolment of men and women onto CTIMPs for hematological malignancies in all abstracts presented at the American Society of Haematology Congress in 2018. Methods: All abstracts that were presented either in oral or poster format at ASH in 2018 were accessed online and reviewed. Only abstracts that were reporting prospective clinical trials involving investigational medical products for hematological malignancies in adult patients were included in the analysis. The significance of the observed percentage of female subjects was analysed by Chi square with the null hypothesis (expected percentage) stated. Results: Of all abstracts reviewed, 398 were identified that fulfilled the criteria. If trial names or NCT numbers were specified, these were recorded and 16 were identified as "duplicates", abstracts reporting the same trial or different parts of the same trial and so if applicable only one abstract was included in the analysis. 204 abstracts reported the number of men and women enrolled onto the trial. In total there were 11,056 men (57%) compared to 8243 women (43%) on trial (p&lt;0.0001, H0=50%). The differences according to disease group and phase of trial where stated are shown in the tables. More men were enrolled onto trials then women in all disease groups (Table 1). This was compared to the expected ratio based on the national incidence of all new diagnoses made in the UK in 2016 (www.cancerresearchuk.org, accessed July 2019). In all disease categories, the ratio was as expected apart from trials for myeloma where there was a statistically significant ratio in favour of women being enrolled. Table 2 categorises the percentage of men and women enrolled according to phase of trial. The proportions in these categories were not equal, with the proportion of women entering early phase trials significantly lower than phase 3 trials (p&lt;0.0001). Conclusions: There was a significant difference in the number of men and women enrolled onto trials for IMPs in hematological malignancies that were presented at ASH 2018. The skew towards male subjects was consistent across disease groups and phase of trial. However this difference may reflect the underlying incidence of these diseases in men and women in the general population rather than represent a true bias in recruitment. However, the proportion of women recruited to early phase trials was significantly lower than those recruited to Phase 3 trials and the reasons for this difference should be investigated further. The data also highlights that a significant number of trials did not report the male to female ratio in the abstract consequently the dataset is not truly representative. Furthermore, the abstracts that have been reviewed only reflect those accepted for presentation which could be further skewing the data. The monitoring of subject recruitment to clinical trials should be performed at a national and international level by regulatory bodies to ensure that the complete trial population is captured and reflects the demographics of the general population. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Sex Differences in Multiple Myeloma Biology and Clinical Outcomes: Results from 3894 Patients in the Myeloma XI Trial

Sex Differences in Multiple Myeloma Biology and Clinical Outcomes: Results from 3894 Patients in the Myeloma XI Trial

Sex-dependent VEGF expression underlies variations in human pluripotent stem cell to endothelial progenitor differentiation

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer tremendous promise in tissue engineering and cell-based therapies because of their unique combination of two properties: pluripotency and a high proliferative capacity. To realize this potential, development of efficient hPSC differentiation protocols is required. In this work, sex-based differences are identified in a GSK3 inhibitor based endothelial progenitor differentiation protocol. While male hPSCs efficiently differentiate into CD34 + CD31+ endothelial progenitors upon GSK3 inhibition, female hPSCs showed limited differentiation capacity using this protocol. Using VE-cadherin-GFP knockin reporter cells, female cells showed significantly increased differentiation efficiency when treated with VEGF during the second stage of endothelial progenitor differentiation. Interestingly, male cells showed no significant change in differentiation efficiency with VEGF treatment, but did show augmented early activation of VE-cadherin expression. A sex-based difference in endogenous expression of VEGF was identified that is likely the underlying cause of discrepancies in sex-dependent differentiation efficiency. These findings highlight the importance of sex differences in progenitor biology and the development of new stem cell differentiation protocols.

Sex Differences and Gender Diversity in Stress Responses and Allostatic Load Among Workers and LGBT People.

Measuring biological sex differences and socio-cultural gender diversity provides insights into individual variation in stress physiology and the development of "sex-specific" diseases. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this selective review, we summarize recent findings that assess sex and gender in relation to the stress hormone cortisol and multi-systemic physiological dysregulation called allostatic load. The focus of this research centers on workers as well as sexual and gender minorities as these populations provide unique insights into sex and gender at various levels of analysis from the micro-level to the macro-level. RECENT FINDINGS: Male/female sex, sex hormones, gender identity, gender roles, and sexual orientation are all variables that are distinctly correlated with stress physiology. Beyond identifying patterns of vulnerability to stress-related diseases, pathways towards resilience are of high priority in emerging literature. Stress scientists must account for both sex and gender in biobehavioral research. Future directions should assess macro-level constructs like institutionalized gender, occupational sex composition, and structural stigma to better understand the social determinants of health.

Ventral Hippocampus Modulates Anxiety-Like Behavior in Male But Not Female C57BL/6 J Mice

Remarkable sex difference has been observed in emotional processing including anxiety. The hippocampus, its ventral pole in particular, modulates anxiety-like behavior in rodents. However, most researches have been performed in male animals only, leaving hippocampal modulation of anxiety in females poorly defined. In the present study, we showed that excitotoxic lesioning of the ventral hippocampus with ibotenic acid produced anxiolytic effects in three behavioral tests (novelty-suppressed feeding, marble burying, and elevated-plus maze) in male but not female C57BL/6 J mice. Locomotion in the open field remained similar after lesioning in either sex. More c-Fos-positive neurons were observed in the ventral hippocampus in male than in female mice after exploration in an elevated plus-maze, indicating stronger enrollment of this region in anxiety-like behavior in males. These results reveal significant biological sex difference in ventral hippocampal modulation on anxiety in mice and provide a new sight for anxiety modulation and hippocampal function.

Abstract 4196: Survival differences between males and females diagnosed with childhood cancer

Abstract Childhood cancer survival differs by sex, but few reports exist characterizing this relationship using modern tumor type classifications for main cancer types. Using the SEER 18 registries (2000-2014), we estimated survival differences between sexes among children aged 0-19 years. We used Kaplan Meier survival curves and Log-Rank p-values to characterize overall survival differences. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) as the measure of association between sex and risk of death by tumor type classified using the International Classification of Childhood Cancer 3rdedition. We used an inverse odds weighting method to determine whether the association between sex and risk of death by tumor type was mediated by stage of disease for solid tumors with significant total effects. Males and females had similar racial distributions by tumor type. Males were more frequently diagnosed with distant stage of disease than females for Hodgkin lymphoma (33% female, 40% male), Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (45% female, 49% male), neuroblastoma (49% female, 56% male), and osteosarcoma (20% female, 24% male). Males had lower 5-year survival than females for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (88% female, 85% male), ependymoma (78% female, 71% male), neuroblastoma (78% female, 74% male), hepatoblastoma (82% female, 77% male), osteosarcoma (71% female, 64% male), and Ewing tumor of the bone (71% female, 67% male). Males had worse overall survival for ALL, ependymoma, neuroblastoma, and osteosarcoma (all Log-Rank p-values&amp;lt;0.02). Males had a higher risk of death than females for ALL (crudeHR:1.24, 95% CI:1.12-1.37), ependymoma (crudeHR:1.36, 95% CI:1.05-1.77), neuroblastoma (crudeHR:1.28, 95% CI:1.09-1.51), and osteosarcoma (crudeHR:1.29, 95% CI:1.08-1.53). Results were similar after adjusting for age at and year of diagnosis, and stage of disease. Among solid tumors with a significant total effect, the association between sex and the risk of death was mediated by stage of disease for neuroblastoma (indirectHR:1.12, 95% CI:1.05-1.19) and was suggestive for osteosarcoma (indirectHR:1.06, 95% CI:1.00-1.12), but not ependymoma. Results were similar in mediation analyses adjusted for age and year of diagnosis. Sex differences in survival, particularly for ALL, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, and ependymoma, may depend to some degree on sex differences in tumor biology or response to treatment. ALL, ependymoma, neuroblastoma, and osteosarcoma account for 1/3 of new cancer diagnoses and ~40% of deaths among children and adolescents. If the five-year survival percentages were the same between sexes for these four cancers, ~18% of male deaths and ~11% of total deaths due to these cancers could be avoided; therefore, studies with detailed molecular tumor and clinical data will be important for identifying mechanisms underlying the observed sex differences in survival. Citation Format: Lindsay A. Williams, Logan G. Spector. Survival differences between males and females diagnosed with childhood cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4196.

Estrogen Promotes Resolution of Pneumonia via CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs

Pneumonia (PNA) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Current treatments for PNA are focused on the pathogens (e.g. vaccinations and antibiotics), but don't target excessive lung inflammation elicited by the host immune response; underscoring the need to identify additional therapeutic targets in PNA. Clinical and experimental evidence exists for sex differences in PNA outcomes and survival, with males having higher mortality. In contrast to studying early events (i.e., risk of infection and transmission), our work focuses on active immunoregulatory pathways that promote resolution of inflammation and lung repair with the ultimate goal to improve PNA‐ALI outcomes. Recognizing the critical role of Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in resolution of lung injury, we predict that improved PNA outcomes in females are the result of sex differences in Treg biology. We cultured Tregs and stimulated them with E2, our data showed exogenous estradiol (E2) promoted Treg suppressive phenotype and proliferation in vitro. We challenged male and female wild‐type mice with intratracheal Streptococcus pneumoniae to make murine model of PNA during early and resolution phases. Despite similar early lung injury, resolution was delayed in male mice compared to female while displaying increased lung CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs. To determine therapeutic effects of E2 on resolution, we rescued male mice 2 days after PNA with systemic administration of E2. Comparing with vehicle administrated mice, male mice after systemic administration of E2 had increased Tregs. The therapeutic effects of E2 were Treg‐dependent as Treg‐depleted (diphtheria toxin‐treated Foxp3DTR) mice did not resolve their injury in response to estrogen. Our results showed that estrogen augments Treg number and function to accelerate repair experimental PNA‐induced lung injury. Estrogen represents novel treatment for PNA by enhancing the host immune system.Support or Funding InformationR01 Franco D'AlessioThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Serum level of sex steroid hormone is associated with diversity and profiles of human gut microbiome

Gut microbiota plays roles in host physiology including endocrine function. Although some data suggest a potential connection between biological sex differences and gut microbiota, the connection between sex steroid hormones and gut microbes remained unexplored. The current study investigates the relationship between gut microbes and serum levels of testosterone in men and estradiol in women. Fecal microbiota from a total of 57 men (n = 31) and women (n = 26) were assessed using 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Based on the levels of serum testosterone and estradiol in men and women, respectively, participants were stratified into three groups of Low, Medium, and High. Microbiome communities were analyzed as a function of the steroid hormone within sex. Men and women in the High group harbored more diverse gut microbial communities than others. In men, the abundance of Acinetobacter, Dorea, Ruminococcus, and Megamonas correlated significantly with testosterone levels. Women in the High group have more Bacteroidetes and less Firmicutes phyla than those in the Low group. Genera Slackia and Butyricimonas were significantly correlated with estradiol levels. These results demonstrate that sex steroid hormone levels are correlated with diversity and gut microbial composition, and provide fundamental information helpful for developing communication networks between human and microbial communities.

Protective Factors and Biological Sex Differentiate Profiles of Teen Substance Users in Myanmar.

Background. Reports on worldwide drug use include some information on risk factors, but virtually no information on protective factors, which are an important component of prevention programs. Aims. This study investigated protective factors and biological sex differences associated with patterns of substance use among adolescents in Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia. Method. Myanmar high school students (N = 1,918; Mage = 15.35, SD = 1.07, range = 14-18; 56% female) completed a version of the Communities That Care survey validated for use in this population. Results. Latent class analysis revealed "Low Users" (38%), "Normative Users" (47%), and "Poly Drug Users" (15%) classes for males, and "Low Users" (80%), "Glue/Over-the-Counter Medication Users" (14%), and "High Users" (6%) classes for females. Univariate analyses indicated that belief in the moral order and positive family attachment differentiated profiles for both males and females; opportunities for prosocial family involvement, prosocial peer behavior, and opportunities to talk with teachers were additionally significant for males only. Logistic regression analysis comparing males in the "Low Users" and "Normative Users" classes indicated that opportunities for prosocial family involvement was protective after accounting for significant demographic and risk factors. In contrast, analyses comparing other classes of males or females found that once significant demographic and risk factors were controlled, protective factors did not discriminate classes. Conclusions. These data suggest that sex-specific prevention and intervention strategies may be more successful than universal approaches, and that attention to both risk and protective factors in prevention programming is warranted.